


Murderer

by Jessiebulby



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Attempted Murder, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Fluff, Hurt Lance, Hurt/Comfort, Keith angst, Lance Angst, Langst, M/M, Multiple Endings, Physical Abuse, Worried Keith, shiro angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-04-30 05:41:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 45
Words: 52,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14490054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jessiebulby/pseuds/Jessiebulby
Summary: "Shiro? Are you alright?" Lance asked."Better than ever," he answered, turning back to Lance.The look in his eyes was terrifying, unnatural, and Lance couldn't help but step back, growingly scared."Let's have some fun now," Shiro said, a wicked smile appearing slowly on his lips.orKeith is back, the team is complete again, and Lance is happy to have his rival back. But Shiro's not himself, and Team Voltron might not realize what's really going on until it's too late.UPDATE: NOW WITH ART ON CHAPTERS 12, 33 and 40 :)





	1. Back Home

**Author's Note:**

> Hi dear readers!
> 
> This story will be full of fluff, but our boys will probably have to face their worst enemy so far! 
> 
> NOTE: the style will be different from my usual fics. It'll be shorter, and there'll be less heavy paragraphs (unless maybe in parts where it's needed, or parts I want really descriptive). I'll probably write this story so it can be read quickly. 
> 
> Enjoy! And Please Leave Kudos and Comments! :)
> 
> Thanks!!

"Keith!" Lance screams happily as he reaches the half-Galra who's just exiting the Blades' small borrowed ship. 

Keith turns just in time to see Lance jumping on him. He hugs the boy as their bodies collide and fall to the ground. 

"Are you crazy? Why did you jump on me like that?" Keith's screams, annoyed by the other's too intense reaction, but also glad that Lance looks happy to see him. 

"Welcome home!" Lance tells him with a cheerful smile, ignoring all his questions. 

He can't help but feel his anger wash away. He hugs Lance a bit tighter. Yeah, he's home.

"Thanks, Lance," Keith replies softly. 

He didn't expect Lance to miss him so much, he's usually always mostly distant and trying to pick fights with him all the time. This is new, but Keith likes it. Well, it could still go back to normal after their hug, but for now he doesn't mind being this close to Lance. 

"I hope we aren't interrupting something?" Allura asks with a small cough. 

Lance gets up quickly to reply energetically. "Yes, we had a bonding moment!" 

"Oh, now you admit that we have bonding moments?" Keith replies as he stands up. 

"Yeah, maybe that's a thing now." Lance replies, visibly embarrassed. 

Keith smiles at that, and then Hunk and Pidge are also running to him, tears in their eyes. 

"It's our turn now! We missed you, Keith!" They cry at the same time.  

"I missed you too, guys," he says, hugging them back. 

That's another thing that's new to him that he doesn't mind at all either. Hugging his friends, his space family. He had become close to the team with all they had gone through. 

"It's good to have you back," Shiro adds behind him, ruffling his hair a bit. 

Keith smiles in reply. 

 


	2. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> Lance and Keith are training together, both showing off their new skills. 
> 
> I'll be building up Lance and Keith's relationship and the angst simultaneously :) Hope you like it! 
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments!
> 
> Thanks!!

"Wow... You really improved," Keith said as he watched Lance proudly show his new shooting skills. 

Lance had always been the best shooter of their team, but he was quickly becoming even faster and more precise. Lance smiled at Keith's comment, and the half-Galra could see in the other's eyes that it was just the beginning of what he had to show him. Lance's bayard then changed for a sword and Lance just destroyed the remaining targets. His form was clumsy, but he was good. Keith gaped at him and reached him in a few strides. 

"How can you do that?!" he asked, impressed. 

"It came naturally. Honestly, I don't even know how I did it the first time. Allura says it's an old altean sword. Now I just visualize my bayard changing form and that's it," Lance explained. "It's super cool, uh?" He added with a proud smile, waiting for Keith's confirmation. 

"Yeah, it's awesome, Lance," Keith agreed looking at the sword with interest. 

Lance was caught off guard by Keith's reaction. Since they were rival and all, he thought Keith would never agree with him. But it was true that their relationship was not the same as before. They were more friendly and understanding with each other now, they were more mature, and closer too... Speaking of "closer", Keith was really close to Lance now, examining the sword without a care about his proximity to Lance. The Cuban boy usually didn't mind, but there was something with keith's eyes being all big and interested, and his small smile... Lance felt his cheeks become hot, so he let his bayard go back to it's normal form and stepped away from Keith. 

"Your turn now, Samurai! Let's see how much you improved with the Blades," Lance told him. 

A determined smile appeared on Keith's lips, ready to show Lance his new skills. 

Lance was mesmerized as Keith completely obliterated the bots one after the other, surpassing his own high score of many levels. Keith had improved his reaction time, his strenght, his flexibility... His movements were flawless to Lance's eyes. It was an impressive sight. 

When Keith finally reached his limit, Lance felt divided in his feelings. Keith had always been better than him. He also had to agree that Keith had really improved, but the jealousy in his heart corrupted it. It made him want to negate the reality and hide his true observations. 

"I didn't expect to get to this level," Keith told Lance, coming to sit beside him on the ground. 

Keith was sweaty and still out of breath. Lance decided to think back to Keith's comment on his new weapon. So, he sighed loudly and stood up. 

"It's unfair... You were pretty awesome against the training bots," Lance told him, his gaze away. 

Lance started walking towards the door to exit the training deck. It was too hard for him to face Keith after what he had said. 

Keith was surprised by Lance's words. Lance had just complimented him. It made him happy, but he realized too late that Lance was leaving. 

"Wait, Lance!" Keith tried to call him, but Lance was already out. 

-

Hunk and Pidge were in the kitchen when Shiro entered. He didn't even greet them, only went for a bowl and the food goo. Hunk and Pidge shared a quick uncertain look. 

"Hey?" Hunk tried. "I made cookies, they'll be ready soon if you want some instead of goo." 

"Goo is fine. It has everything needed for a nutrient-filled meal," Shiro replied. 

This was really weird, and the look Pidge and Hunk shared again showed that they both agree to that. Shiro disliked food goo and Coran's meals in general, like most of the team members. He would still eat it if necessary, to act as an example, but if he had to chose between Hunk's cookies or food goo, he would normally totally chose cookies, even if he had to wait a bit. 

Hunk and Pidge knew something was up with Shiro lately, but they put that on stress. Maybe he needed a break?

Still, what could they really do to let him have a break in the middle of an intergalactic war?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Please leave kudos and comments!


	3. Unusual

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> Sorry for the long wait! These past few weeks, I have been really busy and I had another fic to update as well that took all my free time... 
> 
> So here's another small chapter!
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments!
> 
> Thanks!!

"Alright everyone, let's get some rest before we head out to planet Lo. Let's all meet up here in 2 hours," Shiro instructed them. 

The mission was simple : get down to planet Lo, beat the Galra tyrannizing the inhabitants and enjoy an well-deserved victory parade. At least that's what Lance hoped it would be like. However, they still had 2 hours left before they arrived to said planet, and so Shiro agreed to let them enjoy some free time. Lance didn't know exactly how he wanted to spend the next two hours. Hunk would probably bake some tasty snacks to give them energy before the mission, Pidge would probably keep doing her usual nerdy-stuff, the Princess and Shiro would continue planning or doing something leader-like, Coran would do mechanical check ups on the Castle and Keith would probably train or go to the pool. So, he was left alone...

"Hey, Lance, wanna go to the pool with me?" Keith asked him then. 

Just like Lance had predicted, Keith would go to the pool. Wait... 

"Did you just invite me to go to the pool with you?" He asked back, unsure if he had heard well. 

"Yeah? So, you wanna come or not?" Keith asked, visibly confused by Lance's reaction. 

"Yeah, hum, sure... I'll meet you there?" Lance replied. 

"Ok, see you then!" Keith told him as he exited the main deck. 

Lance turned to Pdige and Hunk who looked as surprised at him. 

"Look how those two are so close now," Coran said then, joining Pidge and Hunk. "I'm so proud of you two, you've grown so much!" He added with emotion. 

With an annoyed groan, Lance exited the main deck as well. But Coran was right, they had grown a lot, they were closer now, and Lance really liked Keith's presence, it made things more interesting. Pidge, Hunk and him had their funny moments, but Lance didn't have their intelligence, so sometimes he felt a bit excluded or out of place. Now he had someone to share his confusion and do stupid challenges with. Yeah, he was glad Keith was back... 

-

"Shiro? Are you alright?" Allura asked, concerned. 

"Yes, why do you ask?" He replied. 

"The other Paladins have shared some worries about your unusual attitude lately, and..." Allura started hesitantly. 

Talking with Shiro and agreeing on missions and plans of action had been really difficult lately. Since everything that had happened with Lotor, Shiro really acted weirdly sometimes and seemed abnormally on edge. And as a figure of leadership for this team, she had the obligation to speak with him of these growing worries they all had. 

"Well, I feel fine, Princess," He answered simply. 

"If there's anything, please feel free to confide in me," she told him. 

"I said I feel fine!" He snapped then. 

That was all Allura needed to confirm that Shiro really wasn't doing fine. It was unnerving to see him in such a state. It would be bad in the long-term if it didn't get better. Shiro was their leader, the pilot of the Black Lion, but his growing agressivity would be bad for the team if this went on. He had already yelled at Lance and taken action without the rest of the team's consent. She didn't know exactly what the best approach was to this kind of situations. 

"Alright..." she answered simply as she left the main deck. 

She had a bad feeling about this herself.


	4. Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> Lance and Keith at the pool... ;)
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments! 
> 
> Thanks!!

Lance couldn't help but keep his gaze away from Keith. Honestly, his training with the Blades didn't only pay off for his skills. He looked like a freaking model now! He had defined muscles and abs. He looked.... He looked way too good now. Even the mullet was getting long enough that it didn't look so bad anymore. Lance wondered if his hair would look even better in a pony tail.

"Are you alright?" Keith asked then. 

"Wh-why do you ask?" Lance replied, hardly keeping his eyes away. 

"You've been staring at the wall for like 15 dobashes straight," Keith explained. 

Well, "straight" wasn't the word Lance would've used. He sighed. He couldn't keep this up. Keith was hot, he couldn't deny it, but that didn't mean Lance couldn't look at him like a decent human being, right? As soon as Lance looked at Keith again, his eyes turned to the other wall right away. What a failure... Lance was really uncomfortable now. He stood and started to get out of the pool. But suddenly he heard the sound of water and a hand grabbed his wrist. 

"What's wrong? Did I say or do something wrong?" Keith asked then.

Keith wasn't the type to be soft, he was a born fighter and a hothead, so seeing Keith try to reach out to him surprised Lance.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong, don't worry," Lance replied, barely looking at him. 

"Then... Why won't you look at me?" Keith asked, a small flicker of anger crossing his features. 

"I-I... I can't tell you!" Lance yelled, feeling way too embarassed. 

"Oh, come on! I'm trying to be nice here," Keith told him, sounding like he was slowly losing his cool. 

Lance groaned. God dammit, this was the most awkward situation he had been in since high school probably. 

"Ok... You really wanna know? Then, promise me you won't make fun of me after that!" Lance said, annoyed, but mostly calm. 

"I promise!" Keith replied with determination. 

Lance took a few long ticks before he made up his mind and let the words escape his mouth. 

"You're hot."

"What?" Keith asked, confused. 

"You heard me!" Lance told him, so embarassed his face must have reached unreal levels of red. 

"And you're not looking at me because of that? Are you for real?" Keith replied, angry now. 

Lance looked at him now, offended. 

"Yes, I am for real, Keith. It's not like you would know how it's like..." Lance replied. 

"What do you mean?" Keith asked, now also offended. 

"You're a loner, and I'm pretty sure you never had a crush on anybody," Lance said, freeing his wrist from Keith's grip and crossing his arms. 

"How would you know?" Keith replied, anger taking over again. 

"Have you?" Lance asked, curious now. 

Lance was surprised to see Keith blush profusedly then.  

"Well, that... That's surprising. When did it happen? Who was it?" Lance asked, suddenly interested. 

"I'm not telling you!" Keith replied. 

"Don't give me that! I just told you I think you're hot! You have to tell me!" Lance told him. 

Keith groaned. "Alright... The first time I fell for someone was before the Garrison and it was the most awful experience I ever had. You happy now?" Keith told him angrily. 

"Wow, that girl must have given you hell..." Lance said compassionately, feeling Keith's resentment against his past lover. 

"It... It wasn't a girl," Keith replied, avoiding his gaze now. 

"Oh. Oh! You're gay?" Lance asked, surprised. 

In answer, Keith only looked at him with annoyance. 

"So, hum... Was he the only one you ever had feelings for?" Lance asked. 

Keith turned his gaze away, and was about to answer when someone cut him. 

"Sorry to interrupt you two. I'd like to have a word with you, Lance?" Shiro asked then. 

"Oh, yeah, sure Shiro," Lance replied, getting out of the pool right away. "See you later, Keith!" 

Keith was left behind, alone in the pool and feeling weird inside. 

When Keith was chosen by the black Lion, after Shiro's disappearance, Lance and he had became closer.

When Shiro had came back, Keith had joined the Blades. 

He felt like something was missing now.

Like he had lost something important.

He soon realized he missed Lance...

 


	5. Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> Lance and Shiro talk.
> 
> So, since I'll be really busy in the next week or so, I decided to update this fic today instead of tomorrow. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! 
> 
> Please leave comments and kudos :)
> 
> Thanks!!

"So, what is it Shiro?" Lance asked hesitantly. 

For a while now, he felt unsure as to how to act around Shiro. He was way too on edge, and Lance didn't know how to approach him anymore. Shiro was his idol, an awesome leader, but he had changed lately. Lance and Allura seemed to take the brunt of it. He would oppose Allura and shout at Lance. It was awkward now to be alone with him. 

"Lance, I think it'd be best if you left this team," Shiro announced then. 

Lance's heart skipped a beat. 

"W-what do you mean, Shiro? I've been doing better and training regularly and..." Lance started, mind racing. 

"No matter how much work you put in, you have no real talent at either flying or fighting. You also have no additional skill that could make you a valuable team member, unlike Pidge or Hunk. I'm sure you have noticed it yourself, Allura is a way better choice than you as a Paladin of Voltron," Shiro explained clearly, and emotionless. 

"But... Blue... She chose me," Lance said. 

"She did at first, but now Allura is her new pilot," Shiro replied. "I'm sure you have noticed the difference there is between you and the other team members. Lance, I ask you to step aside." 

Lance looked at him, shocked and hurt. He remembered his conversation with Keith phoebs ago. Keith had said that things would work themselves out. They had, but now that they had one Paladin too many again... Lance didn't cry, only swallowed dryly and lifted his head to look at Shiro dead in the eyes. 

"Understood," he replied and left. 

Only when he reached his room did he let the emotions consume him completely. 

 

-

 

"We're ready for the mission, now. Where is Lance?" Allura complained. 

"You're Blue's pilot, Allura," Shiro told them as he stood up. "Go get prepared." 

Allura stood up and walked up to him, fire in her eyes. 

"I might've been Blue's pilot for the pas phoebs, but that was only meant to be temporary. Lance is Blue's true pilot," she replied. 

"I'll go get him," Keith announced and was out before anyone could say anything. 

Everyone on the bridge saw Shiro's expression change to one of annoyance at everyone's resistance. 

 

-

 

Keith knocked on Lance's bedroom door. There was no answer, so Keith knocked again, harder this time. Then, the door opened. Keith took in Lance's appearance. He had seen him not even an hour ago, yet he looked totally different now. Keith could see the other young man was exhausted and... Lance had cried. Keith felt anger towards Shiro built up in him. 

"What do you want, Mullet?" Lance asked.

"We, humm... We need you for the mission, remember?" he asked hesitantly. 

"No, you don't... Shiro just fired me. I'm not a Paladin anymore," Lance replied. 

"Well, none of the other member agreed with his decision, so suit up you're coming with us," Keith told him, decisive. 

"Are you sure?" Lance asked, uncertain and... Was he scared? "I mean, Shiro's really scary when he's mad..." 

"Lance, you're a Paladin of Voltron, and Shiro, as our leader, has to accept that you are part of our team," Keith told him, putting a hand on Lance's shoulder supportingly. 

Lance smiled. 

"Alright, Samurai, I'm suiting up right away and joining you all on the bridge in a tick!" Lance exclaimed cheerfully. 

Keith smiled at that. He liked Lance's energy and general carefree attitude sometimes. It felt weird to see him all gloomy. Now that his smile looked almost as bright as usual, Keith felt better himself. 

Keith left for the bridge after that, where everyone looked tense. 

Lance arrived a few short dobashes later. 

Shiro didn't seem happy to see him. 

It annoyed Allura and Keith. 

But they didn't say a thing.  


	6. Worth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> The team goes down to the planet to free the inhabitants. The team separate in pairs... 
> 
> So, I wasn't supposed to post anything today, because of medical reasons, but I ended up in front of my computer anyway... I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments! 
> 
> Thanks!!

Keith was fighting the Galra with all he had, as always. Slashing, blocking, turning, jumping... Always moving and leaving unconscious or wounded opponents behind. The problem was, there were many more Galras than predicted. He was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed, and it annoyed him so much. Couldn't they just admit defeat and leave? They were going to loose anyway. 

Keith heard three gunshot then. The three Galra closest to him dropped to the ground right after. 

"Hey, Mullet, getting tired already?" Lance teased him over the coms. 

Keith smiled at that and continued fighting the other Galras surrounding him. 

"As if," he answered. "Anyway, I know you have my back." 

Lance would lie if he said he didn't blush a bit at Keith's statement. Lance rarely received any praise from their other teammates. He knew they all cared for him, but sometimes he wondered if he was really as indispensable as the others. Having Keith, his rival, saying these words, meaning that he admitted that he could count on Lance... It meant a lot to him. 

"Of course, I do," Lance replied proudly, shooting other Galras that were trying to attack Keith. 

The two of them made a really good team together. They soon cleared this section of the planet. Now, they had to regroup with the other members of their team to finish off the Galras that remained on the planet. Lance joined Keith easily as they made their way to the meeting point. 

"Are you alright, Samurai? I saw you were hit a couple times," Lance asked. 

"I'm fine. It won't even bruise," Keith replied. 

"Yeah, yeah, right, I'm sure your body will hate you tomorrow," Lance said. 

"I've had worse," Keith said. 

"I guess... It must not have been easy to work with the Blades," Lance said. 

Keith didn't answer. No, he had almost died too many times during his missions with the Blades. Lance didn't need to know that, it was in the past now, he was a Paladin again. Well, that didn't mean he was out of danger, but at least the team didn't value the mission over one's life. 

"Well, whatever, you're back now. So... Will you introduce us to your mother soon?" Lance asked. 

"She's on a mission now, I don't know when she'll be done. But, yeah, I'll introduce you to her... eventually, I guess," Keith replied. 

"O-okay..." Lance felt like it was awkward now. 

Keith was secretive, and a loner, so Lance knew it was usual for him to keep things for himself. Still, he liked the way their relationship evolved. They still had a bit of immaturity and their original rivalry, but they cared about each other. They were friends. 

Keith stopped walking suddenly. His eyes were fixed on the ground and he had a small smile. 

"I was happy to know that my mother was still alive and that she was fighting to protect the universe all this time. She didn't leave me because... because of _me._ She left to protect me and save the rest of the universe," Keith admitted then.

Keith had just opened up to Lance, and the Cuban boy was taken aback. Lance himself had insecurities, but he never thought Keith had internal troubles like him. In his mind, the only problem Keith had was his hotheadedness, otherwise he was a genius fighter and Shiro's pupil and successor. It made Lance sad to know that Keith had possibly beleived that his mother had left him because she didn't want him. 

Keith started walking again, and Lance lagged behind a bit. 

"Y-your mother must be an awesome person," Lance stuttered, joining Keith again. 

Keith smiled at Lance. 

"Yeah, she is," he agreeed.

 

-

 

"Shiro, I wanted to speak to you about your earlier choice concerning Lance's dismissal of the team," Allura said as Shiro joined her and Coran first at the meeting point. 

"Of course, Princess," he said as he made the usual check ups on his armour. 

"You've been acting on your own a lot lately, and I think that you should take into account the rest of the team's opinion when making decisions that affect us all," she told him. "Especially when it concerns a member as important as Lance." 

"Princess, I think you are all blinded by your emotions. You all care about him, I can see that, but I think we also all agree that he's dragging us down," Shiro said. 

The words hurt Allura almost as much as if they were directed to her. She was usually the most logical and honest when it came to the good of the universe, but she knew deep down that Lance had greatness within that he just hadn't had the chance to really show the others. Already, he was the first one to be able to change his bayard into another weapon. She truly believed in him. 

"You are wrong, Shiro. He has more worth than you give him. You'll see in time, but he will remain as the Blue Paladin," Allura told him. 

Shiro didn't even look up at her, only frowned in annoyance. Allura knew she would have to do something about this strange attitude of his. It felt like Shiro was a stranger to her now. When she had met him and the others phoebs ago, she had seen in him a great leader that cared for his team deeply. Now... Now he ressembled more and more a tyrant. 

It scared Allura. 

 


	7. Worsening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> Allura and Keith have a talk. Shiro's behaviour towards Lance only worsens. 
> 
> I'll be back on my "regular" schedule next week (posting on Tuesdays and Thursdays). I hope you'll like this chapter! 
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments! 
> 
> Thanks!!

"Keith, may I talk to you for a moment?" Allura inquired as he was walking towards his room to take a shower.

"Yeah, sure. What is it?" Keith replied.

"I talked with Pidge and Hunk and we noticed some concerning things... regarding Shiro," she said. "Since you are the closest to him, I wanted to know your opinion as to how you think we should handle this situation. For now, nothing really bad happened, but I fear Shiro might say or do things that could affect us all greatly if we don't take precautionary actions."

"Oh, hum... It's true that Shiro's been different lately, but I don't really know what to do either," he replied, thinking.

Shiro was colder with everyone, and Keith had probably been the first to feel it. He knew Shiro better than anyone, he was like a brother to him. Shiro was kind, courageous and a great team leader. He cared about his teammate deeply, he was almost like a dad, taking care of them and guiding them through battles and mundane life issues. But now... 

"I know you might not like the idea, but Hunk, Pidge and I thought that maybe you could act as the leader of Voltron for a while, until Shiro is back to his usual self," Allura offered then, taking him off guard. 

"Sorry, Allura, no, I can't..." he started, refusing right away. 

He wasn't a leader like Shiro. There was a reason why he had left to work with the Blades, Allura knew it, the whole team knew it... There was no way he could take Shiro's place. Even with the older man's current state, Keith wasn't even close to his level of leadership, he still had a long way to go and a lot to learn before he could even come near to being considered a potentially good leader, especially for Voltron.

"It would only be temporary, of course, as my role as Blue's pilot was," she said then. "It could help."

He stared at her for a long moment. She looked at a loss, but he couldn't agree. He had failed his team once as their leader, he didn't want to make the same mistake. He cared too much about them. And that's also what was confusing for him. He remembered Lance and the deep sadness in his eyes after Shiro had told him to step aside. He remembered when Lance had talked to him about his insecurities. Lance was a member of this team, and maybe it would do more bad than good if Keith didn't do anything. He let out an annoyed sight at his confused thoughts. 

"I'll think about it," he replied in the end. 

"Thank you, Keith," Allura said with an apologizing smile. 

Keith smiled back and left for his room. 

This was a mess. 

 

-

 

Lance was walking back to his room when he realized he had forgotten his space cellphone in his Lion. He ran back towards his hangar when he noticed Shiro walking in the other direction. He slowed down to a stop as Shiro neared him. The Black Paladin looked disconnected from reality. His eyes seemed almost unfocused and it was as if he hadn't even notice Lance's presence. Yeah, they were always a bit tired and out of it after a mission or a battle, but it stil felt weird to Lance. Shiro was always the last one to show signs of exhaustion, unlike Hunk. And geez, his best friend was still full of energy, so much he could probably cook meals for hundreds of people if need be.  

"Are you ok, Shiro?" Lance asked, concerned.

Shiro came to a stop, about a metre in front of him. He lifted his eyes to meet Lance's. He seemed to be back to reality for an instant, but they soon showed a deep anger that made Lance suddenly really _really_ uneasy.  

"Shiro?" Lance asked, uncertain. 

Shiro looked anormally furious now, and Lance almost regretted bringing him back to reality. Lance made a mental note to himself to never interfere with Shiro's daydreaming again... 

Shiro suddenly grabbed Lance by the collar of his Paladin gear and brought him close to his face. Lance was looking at Shiro with fear, expecting the worst. 

"Why didn't you listen to me? Leave. This. Team." Shiro told him then, shoving Lance to the ground. 

Lance was shaking unsure of what to do.

He was scared. 

But then, Shiro's face softened. Now, he looked like his real self. Lance thought back to his conversation with Shiro a while ago, when he had said that he didn't feel like himself. Well, Lance had seen right there what Shiro had meant. 

"I-I... Please, do as I say, Lance. For your own sake," he told him, as anger slowly took over again on his features. 

Shiro walked away quickly. 

Lance was left shocked on the ground. This was probably the weirdest thing that had ever happened to him, well except for flying into a Lion spaceship and fighting purple aliens and all that. 

 

-

 

Coran was hidding at the end of the hallway, having behold this strange interaction. He had fought against all his instincts not to interfere. Something told him that he needed to see how things would end up. Fortunately, he hadn't been wrong to wait as he had witnessed Number 1's worrying behaviour towards Lance and heard what he had told the younger man. 

Now, Coran was confident that something was up with Number 1. 

And he was determined to protect his space children.

To do so, he needed to talk to the Princess. 

They had to take action...

As soon as possible. 


	8. Screwed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> Lance and Keith's talk a bit and Lance realizes he might have feelings for his teammate. In another part of the Castle, there's conflict amongst the rest of the team. 
> 
> I have a lot still planned for this fic, so it won't end before season 6 comes out. I feel like we will have more information about what's really going on with Shiro in the canon universe the next season, so this fic will probably become completely canon divergent once it's out. 
> 
> I hope you'll still continue to read it and enjoy the chapters! 
> 
> Thanks!!

Lance stood up as soon as Shiro was gone. He ran away... He needed to talk to someone, and, weirdly, Keith was the first person that came in his mind. Lance had confided in Keith once, and now it felt almost natural to go to him to talk about what had happened. But, just as he reached the door to the other boy's room, Lance stopped. He couldn't complain to Keith about Shiro, they were like brothers!

He felt really stupid now. 

And just as he was about to go back on his steps, Keith opened his door. God, what terrible timing... really... 

"Lance?" Keith asked, looking surprised.

"Oh, hey, Keith!" Lance greeted him, but then stayed silent afterwards, searching for an excuse to explain his presence in front of his door but not finding one. 

"Why are you here? Did you wanna talk about something?" Keith asked. 

"I, hum... It's...  I gotta go," Lance replied finally, turning away. 

Shit, this was a mess. Why couldn't he just act normal in front of Keith anymore, for quiznack's sake?! Lance usually had a confident persona when he was in front of others, no matter who it was, but Keith made him loose his cool way too easily, without even doing anything special. Lance would have to do something about that soon or he would end up really making a fool of himself. 

"Wait, Lance! I... I wanted to talk to you actually," Keith said then, grabbing Lance's arm to stop him from walking away. 

Lance stopped walking and looked back at Keith, surprised. Well, that was new. Not that he didn't like him... Wait, no brain! He meant "it", not that he didn't like _it._ Oh no... Even his brain was broken in the presence of Keith now. 

"Okay?" Lance said. 

That's good, simple words, he encouraged himself mentally. 

"You know that Shiro hasn't been really himself lately, right?" Keith started and continued before Lance could answer. "Well, Allura asked me to be the leader of Voltron again until Shiro is back to normal. What do you think?" 

Lance couldn't help the feeling of happiness in his chest at Keith's words. After all that had happened with Shiro and all the things he had told him, knowing that Keith cared about his opinion washed away all the deprecating thoughts that accumulated in his mind. 

"You wanna know my opinion... Why?" Lance asked, looking surprised.

"Because if I am to pilot Black again, you'll have to change Lion again. This decision affects you too," Keith explained. 

"Oh, yeah, you're right," Lance agreed. 

"So, hum... Do you want to be my right hand again?" Keith asked, looking away. 

He looked weirdly embarrassed and Lance felt his cheeks blush at his question and reaction. Seriously, why did he have to ask it like that? Lance's heart was beating fast in his chest, and he wasn't sure how to interpret that. 

"O-of course, I want to," Lance finally answered. 

"Oh, great, thanks Lance. I really appreciate your help," Keith said with a grateful smile, his big purple eyes meeting Lance's. 

That was it. Lance's brain had completely shut down right there. Lance couldn't think or react for a long moment, only staring at Keith and registering a weird sensation in his chest. It was as if he was falling for an instant. Should he be concern? Maybe it was serious, he should probably talk to Coran...

But then his mind caught up. Oh no... He wasn't falling for Keith, was he? 

Keith walked away after that, not noticing Lance's weird reaction.

The Cuban boy felt like something was suddenly missing. 

He wanted Keith to stay with him...

Yeah, he was screwed.

 

-

 

"We're going," Shiro decided. 

"But Shiro, we really don't have enough intel yet and..." Pidge started. 

"This could be our only chance to take down one of Lotor's biggest rivals. We can't let this chance go," Shiro explained. 

"It could put us all in danger. The risks are too high, Shiro, I cannot allow such a perilous mission to take place," Allura stated. 

"Princess, as you know, _I_ am the leader of Voltron, so I make the decision," Shiro started. 

Hunk and Pidge looked at the two of them, expecting the worst. Allura wouldn't let this go and it would probably explode in all their faces, and honestly Hunk really didn't want to see that. But he couldn't let it happen either. 

"Shiro, Allura, please... We should talk to the others bef..." Hunk started.  

"Hunk, stay out of this," Shiro told him with a threatening tone that made them all cower, even Allura didn't feel so confident anymore. 

Hunk didn't say anything, he was feeling suddenly weirdly scared of Shiro. Well, it wasn't so weird really. Shiro felt like a totally different person, as if he was a dark version of his former self. Hunk thought back to all the kid's tv shows he watched when he was young that had at least an episode where the main character had to go against their evil self. It couldn't really happen, right? Hunk's thoughts were against him then, bringing up all the crazy things that had happened to them all. 

Yeah, Hunk wouldn't be so surprise if it ended up really being like this. 

Still, they were all at a loss of what to do. 

They needed Keith to step up. 

Or they were all screwed. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments! 
> 
> You can also follow me/send me an ask or a pm on Tumblr: Prettygoo-d


	9. Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> Now, it's Keith's turn to really realize his feelings, and he has a little sister to tease him. 
> 
> Here's another chapter! It's a longer one than I expected at first, but Keith is, in my opinion, a really complicated character, so there had to be a little bit more content regarding his feeling's development. Next one will be posted probably thursday. 
> 
> Btw, who else can't wait for the new season?! And oh Lord, I'm going through my finals at uni and the only thing I can think about is Voltron x) 
> 
> Anyway, please leave kudos and comments! 
> 
> Thanks!!

Keith turned the corner just in time. Why did he have to ask it like that? Like, really?!

_"So, hum... Do you want to be my right hand again?"_

He let out an angry groan. Why did he have to make a fool of himself in front of Lance?!

Keith had almost never let himself get emotionally close to anybody. He had always been scared that he would end up hurt, like he had been in the past.

His mother had left him and his father when he was just a child, and then his father had disappeared a few years later, leaving him to be tossed from foster home to foster home, never staying anywhere, always being the troubled child that no one ever wanted or loved.

Shiro, his mentor when he was admitted at the Garrison, had been the only one who had seemed to really care about him. Keith didn’t make it easy for him, but Shiro always stood up for him and truly tried to support him. He was the first person Keith let himself develop attachment for in so long.

He was even able to get into a relationship over the years that followed. He never really loved the guy, but he knew feelings had to be built up sometimes. The guy ended up to be an asshole, but whatever…

When Shiro was declared dead in space, Keith felt hurt, deeply… He was sad and angry at the whole universe. He blew up at Iverson after a few days and was expelled from the Garrison. He was left alone and lost.

He listened to his instincts and ended up alone in a shack in the desert. He didn’t mind being alone there, but he missed Shiro and sometimes he found himself doubting his actions. Why was he strangely drawn to this place? What were these strange markings he had found in the caves near there? Why did Shiro have to leave him like everyone else he cared about? Why did he have to be alone again?

But now he knew all the answers and he wasn’t alone anymore. He had a space family, he had found Shiro and his mother again, and he knew that they never left him just because of him. They loved him, but their lives were complicated and things were messed up in this universe.

He was glad that he had so many people that cared about him, and that he cared about too. He was opening up to many more people at once, and Lance was almost screaming “shotgun”, freaking Naruto running in his heart, completely destroying the walls Keith had worked so hard to put up inside him.

And this is how Keith ended up in this embarrassing situation, hiding in a corner of the Castle. His face covered by a blush so red it almost competed with his jacket.

When did it become so hard to talk to Lance, yet so… so amazing? It brought him so many new emotions, he felt a bit overwhelmed.

He knew what they meant, but they were so different from what he remembered they were. This guy he had dated, he had felt attraction to him, wanted to spend time with him and do all the stuff real couple did, but it was nothing compared to the growing desire in Keith’s chest.

Shit, he wanted to stop feeling these strong emotions, but every time he tried to push them away, the image of Lance in the pool earlier and the words he had told him came back up and he was left powerless against them.

“Get out of my head, stupid gay thoughts!” he yelled in anger.

No matter how stubborn he was, there was no denying it.

This battle… He would lose it, that was for sure.

He was doomed.

 

—

 

“What the hell are you doing?” Pidge asked as she watched Keith judgingly.

Was he really having a gay crisis right now? They had other more important issues to take care of, for quiznack’s sake! Like taking care of the whole “Shiro’s not himself” situation!

Keith jumped to the side, surprised and even more embarrassed to have been found by Pidge.

“What are you doing here?!” He yelled back.

“I pass by here every single day, Keith, my room is right there,” she told him, pointing to a door passed his shoulder.

She saw the realization on his face. “Anyway, suit up, Shiro decided we’re going on a new mission,” she told him.

“Oh, ok. Thanks for telling me,” Keith replied, finally looking like he was getting back to his usual self.

But then, the little sister in her just couldn’t stay shut. So, she joined him as they walked towards the main hallway and continued to walk beside him even as they passed her door.

“Lance, uh?” She asked with a teasing tone.

“Shut up, Pidge,” he told her, already annoyed.

Oh, this was too easy! She smiled devilishly, ready to annoy him even more.

“So, when are you gonna confess?” She asked.

“Pidge…” he said simply with a threatening tone.

“Well, red like you were, I suppose you won’t even have to say a word,” she added.

Keith let out a frustrated groan again. She laughed, amused. But now, the fun was over, they had to get prepared for their next mission.

“You… You shouldn’t suppress your feelings Keith, I’m sure Lance wouldn’t think your ‘stupid gay thoughts’ are so ‘stupid’, if you know what I mean,” she told him.

“What do you mean?” He asked then, turning to her with a curiousness Pidge had rarely seen in his eyes.

“Report to the bridge in your uniforms, Paladins!” Allura’s voice resounded in the entire Castle.

“See you later, Keith!” Pidge shouted as she ran to her room to get changed.

“Wait!” He tried, but she was already gone.

She felt a strange happiness inside her.

He was finally opening up.

He was allowing love in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments :)
> 
> You can also follow me/ send me an ask or a pm on Tumblr: Prettygoo-d


	10. Decided

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> Keith and Lance have made their minds...
> 
> I hope you'll like this chapter. Things will soon get real! 
> 
> So, how did you find the new season? :) As for me, it's my favourite so far! I cringed at some aspects, but I really enjoyed it in general. 
> 
> Also, I might not be updating as much as I'd like in the next few weeks (going through finals, having medical appointments, moving out of town, starting a new job...), but I'll do my best to post at least a chapter once a week until I can get back to two! :)
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments! 
> 
> Thanks!!

“We’ll be teamed up. Lance and I will be together and attack the main building with our Lions as a diversion while Hunk and Pidge infiltrate and hack into their main system. Allura and Keith will take care of the soldiers inside,” Shiro explained.

This plan was risky, because it left Shiro and Lance with little aerial support, taking into account the fact that Coran couldn’t help them with the Castle so close to the ground, and they didn’t know how much soldiers, and their ranks, Allura and Keith would have to fight against. This was way too risky for Lance’s liking, but he didn’t verbalize his concerns. He didn’t want Shiro yelling at him or creating more conflict.

“Understood,” they all agreed anyway.

Lance would’ve liked it if Keith stepped up now, but Hunk had told them about Shiro’s earlier reaction regarding this mission, and they concluded that it was probably a better idea to wait for a calmer moment to drop this bomb on Shiro.

The little information the team had obtained was at least in their favour, so that was that.

Before they left to their go into their respective Lions, Lance turned to Keith, he needed to speak to him before this dangerous mission. Maybe… Maybe this mission would really go to shit and they would get hurt or worse.

“Hey…” They started at the same time.

They looked at each other, surprised by their similar reaction. A wide smile appeared on Keith’s lips, and they both started laughing. After a small moment, they calmed down.

“Be careful out there, Mullet,” Lance told him then.

“You too, Sharpshooter,” Keith replied.

“Oh and… We should do something together once we get back, like watching a movie or playing video games,” Lance offered awkwardly.

Really? Why did he offer such activities? If he really wanted to get Keith to do something with him, he should’ve offered something else, like training or something like that. The other boy liked to move, he knew that. He felt really stupid now.

“Sure, a movie would be great,” Keith replied then with a truly visible blush on his cheeks even if he looked normal, as if he was hiding his happiness.

“Ok! Nice, coolio…Awesome!” Lance said, his level of awkwardness growing exponentially by the tick.

He needed to get away before it got out of hands. Well, even more than it was already. So, he turned around and started walking away, but then Keith grabbed his hand. Lance looked back at Keith, curious. Keith looked past him, as if checking something. Lance followed Keith’s line of vision and saw that he was looking at Shiro as the door to the Black Lion’s hangar closed in front of him.

“If anything weird happens with Shiro again, tell me Ok?” Keith asked.

“Y-yeah,” Lance stuttered, his mind only really focused on Keith’s hand in his. “Sure, Keith.”

Keith smiled again and let go.

“Alright, now let’s get to our Lions,” he told Lance, passing by him.

 

—

 

“You have made your mind?” Allura asked as Keith and she made their way inside the Galra-occupied building.

“Yeah, I’ll take Shiro’s place once we get back to the Castle,” Keith told her.

“Thanks, Keith. I hope it’ll help Shiro and the team, especially Lance. After what happened after our mission earlier…” she trailed off.

“What happened?” Keith asked, confused.

“Oh, that’s right, Coran told Pidge, Hunk and I, but you weren’t there. As you already know, Shiro has shown aggressive behaviour towards Lance lately. Well, Coran witnessed Shiro threatening Lance and pushing him to the ground earlier. This is really concerning, and I am still unsure on how to deal with this kind of situation. You see, I tried speaking to him, but my words didn’t seem to reach him,” Allura explained.

Keith stopped walking. With his new growing feelings for Lance, Keith felt weirdly protective of Lance. He loved Shiro like a brother, but Lance was quickly growing in importance to him too. If Shiro hurt Lance anymore…

“I won’t let Shiro be mean to Lance, or any of you, anymore,” Keith told her then and started walking again.

Allura smiled proudly at his reaction.

 

—

 

“Lance?” Shiro called over the coms.

“Yes, Shiro?” Lance replied.

“Don’t mess this up,” Shiro told him.

Lance felt his heart skip a beat. Was he really that much of a burden to their team? No, now that couldn’t be. Shiro was not like himself. He was voluntarily mean to him… Right?

“I won’t,” Lance replied, voice small.

“Come on, we’re attacking now,” Shiro announced.

Lance followed his leader and started attacking the main building. Soon, Galra aerial support got out of their hiding and the battle started.

Lance wasn’t talking much, focused on this battle like he had never been before.

He heard the others give their ETAs as the battle went on.

But Lance was so anxious, it made him silent.

He needed to do this right.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!   
> Please leave kudos and comments! 
> 
> You can also follow me/send my asks or pm on Tumblr : Prettygoo-d


	11. Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> Keith and Lance dance together. Later, Shiro and Lance meet outside. 
> 
> Here's a fluffy chapter that ends with angst! The real angst starts next chapter ^.^
> 
> I hope you'll like this one! Please leave kudos and comments :)
> 
> Thanks!!

The mission was a success. It had been too close to a failure for comfort, but they had made it. No one had been hurt, but it had been mostly thanks to the planet’s inhabitants sending unexpected help at the last minute.

To thank team Voltron for their help in retaking control of their own planet, they invited them to a banquet. They all agreed to attend it, even Shiro. They needed to get their minds off things a bit.

The aliens were mostly around Shiro’s height or a bit more, which was taller than the other team members. They had different skin colours, from bright pink to a dark blue. Their skin was hard and seemed reptile-like to the touch. They also had huge cat-like eyes and ears, but no body hair. For the event, most of them wore white pants, but nothing else much. The Paladins decided to attend the banquet with their paladin gears.

“Aren’t I supposed to be the loner?” Keith asked as he joined Lance who had been standing in a corner of the room alone most of the night.

He looked tired and kind of sad.

“Hey, Mullet,” Lance greeted him, not putting much energy into his words.

“What’s going on?” Keith asked, concerned.

Lance left his corner to walk in front of Keith. He looked at the center of the room where people were dancing and having a good time and smiled.

“Come dance with me,” Lance requested suddenly, his eyes back on Keith.

He looked determined and Lance’s question took him off guard. His heart was screaming “YES!”, but his mind was like “fuck”. Not like a sexual fuck, or maybe a bit, but mostly like a my-brain’s-not-working-anymore fuck.

Lance extended his arm in front of Keith, waiting for a positive answer that Keith couldn’t seem to be able to give. Once his brain finally processed what was happening, Lance was already dropping his hand, looking embarrassed.

“Forget it, it was a bad idea,” Lance told him.

“N-no, I can dance… with you,” Keith blurted, angry at himself and his inability to just act normal.

No, but really, if his heart was set on Lance, how would he be able to get him if acted like a dork in front of him all the time? He needed to find some way to be more in control of himself in front of Lance. This was getting ridiculous.

“Show me your moves then,” Lance encouraged him as they made their way to the dancefloor.

Keith cursed under his breath. He was the most awful dancer he knew. Geez, even Shiro who could only do something that looked like the robot was better than him.

So, this is how Keith ended in the middle of the room, looking super awkward as he watched Lance move his body with so much grace and facility he felt jealous. His movements were following the rhythm of the music perfectly, and made Keith’s thoughts wander to some unholy, or maybe holy, places.

“Come on, Keith, don’t be shy, move those hips,” Lance encouraged him.

No, nope, he really couldn’t. If he made even more a fool of himself in front of Lance today, he would die of embarrassment. It was a matter of life and death. So, in favour of life, he started walking backwards to escape the dancefloor, but then Lance grabbed Keith’s wrist and came close to Keith. Too close for Keith’s comfort. Shit, his heart was beating so fast…

“Don’t tell me you don’t know how to dance, Mullet?” Lance teased him.

Keith turned his eyes away with some kind of an angry growl and a blush on his cheeks.

“It’s Ok, I-I’ll teach you,” Lance offered. “That’s, hum, if you want, of course…”

Keith looked back at Lance, surprised, and saw that he looked almost as awkward as him now.

“Show me,” Keith told him, decisive.

Lance seemed to freeze for a few long second before he dragged Keith back to dancefloor. Lance showed him some single moves, and Keith tried to imitate Lance, but it failed miserably. He might be a pretty good fighter and all, this really didn’t mean anything when it came to dancing, or he was really not using his skills properly. Anyway, he would probably not find out how to use them tonight. Lance seemed to come to the same conclusion. He was laughing at Keith, and the half-galra man felt humiliated, but Lance’s laugh and smile somewhat appeased his bad emotions.

But then, Lance grabbed his hand and, with a bit of hesitance, his hip. “We’ll work on the dancing-alone part when we’re not surrounded by a bunch of people, ok? Now, let’s see if you’re better dancing with a partner,” Lance told him.

Keith didn’t answer. How could he? His mind was in chaos. Lance was so close, one of his hands was on his hip, his heart was beating fast again…

Lance started moving, and Keith left him lead, his attention completely on Lance, whether it was his eyes, or his smile, or his scent. Seriously, Lance smelled so good. It was probably due to his many beauty products.

Keith didn’t notice that he had been dancing with Lance for a few minutes without any incident, but then the music stopped and so did Lance.

“Yeah, you’re totally better with a partner,” Lance agreed.

“Oh… Thanks,” Keith said as he stepped back from Lance, freeing his hip and hand.

“I-I’ll go outside a bit,” Lance said then. “See you later.”

Lance left hastily, and Keith almost wanted to go after him, but he felt like he had already crossed many boundaries with him tonight. Lance probably needed a bit of time alone.

 

-

 

Lance walked away, his heart beating fast and a bright blush spreading on his face. He had danced with Keith. Oh, God, this must be a dream or something like that. Well if it was, Lance didn’t want to wake up. Honestly, Keith could’ve killed him with his beautiful purple eyes staring intensely at him. Lance didn’t even know how he was able to keep dancing and talk to him. He was glad he did, because that had been a magical moment. He would never forget it.

A dorky smile appeared on his lips as he made his way outside to a large balcony. The view there was beautiful. The planet’s two suns were setting on the horizon, it was beautiful. The building in which the banquet was held was close to the edge of a cliff and Lance’s eyes wandered there, noticing movement close to the edge. He squinted his eyes and was luckily able to figure out who it was. Lance jumped down the balcony, activating his thrusters so he wouldn’t hurt himself when he reached the ground, a few meters below. Lance ran to the edge, but it was farther away than expected.

“Shiro! Shiro?” Lance called as he reached the edge of the cliff.

He found him a few ticks later, crouched down and holding his head. Shiro stood up as Lance approached him but kept his back to Lance. His arms fell slowly to his sides.

"Shiro? Are you alright?" Lance asked.

"Better than ever," he answered, turning back to Lance.

The look in his eyes was terrifying, unnatural, and Lance couldn't help but step back, growingly scared.

"Let's have some fun now," Shiro said, a wicked smile appearing slowly on his lips.

Lance already regretted leaving the party.

He should have stayed away from Shiro.

He should’ve left like he had been told.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Please leave kudos and comments!
> 
> You can also follow me/send me an ask or a pm on Tumblr: Prettygoo-d


	12. Agony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers!
> 
> Team Voltron try their best to find Lance and Shiro before it's too late...
> 
> I am back! Here is a long chapter with a lot of klangst. I loved writing it and I'm sorry in advance for those I'll hurt with this. ^.^
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: There is mention of blood and injuries in this chapter. 
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments! 
> 
> Thanks!!

 

“You guys were so cute,” Hunk told Keith as he joined the half-Galra who was standing alone in a corner of the room.

Hunk was holding a plate full of this planet’s traditional dishes. Honestly, their culinary skills were of high levels. Hunk had been talking with the chef most of the night. The alien had gladly given him some ingredients that he could only find on their planet. So yeah,Hunk was having a good night.

And Keith and Lance too, as he had noticed earlier. The two had been dancing together. Honestly, he would never have thought that Lance would have the courage to ask Keith to dance, and even less that Keith would agree. He was happy for them though.

Pidge and him had been observing them for a while now, and they knew their two friends were totally pinning each other. Hunk and Pidge just couldn’t wait for them to become official. Well, at least Hunk wanted them to become official. Pidge wanted to enjoy their pinning a little longer so she could tease them a bit more.

“What are you talking about?” Keith asked.

“You and Lance, you were dancing earlier,” Hunk clarified, eating a bite of his plate.

“Oh… Yeah, it was fun,” Keith agreed, looking to the ground.

“No way… Are you really blushing?” Hunk laughed.

He couldn’t help but tease them either, Lance and Keith were like his brothers, he kind of had to make fun of them.

“Stop it,” Keith growled. “Anyway, I must have done something wrong because he hasn’t come back yet.”

“Oh, buddy, don’t worry, I’m sure you did nothing wrong. He’s probably at the toilet or something like that,” Hunk tried to reassure him.

“Hey, Paladins, have any of you seen Shiro?” Allura asked as she joined them, looking concerned.

Pidge was beside her, looking around, still trying to spot him, which was a waste of time since she was so small. Hunk would not voice that thought though, Pidge could be dangerous when angered.

“No, haven’t seen him,” Hunk replied.

“Me neither,” Keith added, standing up straighter, looking thoughtful.

“Maybe he’s with Lance, Keith said he’s been gone for a while too,” Hunk said.

Silence fell over all of them for a moment as realization hit them. They all knew that if this was the case, Lance might be facing Shiro’s bullying again. None of them wanted that.

 

—

 

Just when Keith was about to say something, Allura’s earrings lit up, meaning that someone was talking to her through the coms, and she instantly looked distressed. Keith put his helmet on right away.

“…eed help! I can’t fight him, I’m in the…” Lance yelled in panic, sounding out of breath, but was cut off by a loud noise.

There was only silence after that. Keith felt his heartbeat and his breathing speed up in fear. Lance was in danger. What had Shiro done? But… But it couldn’t really be Shiro. Shit! What was going on?

Keith moved then, knowing that Lance had been outside. The other Paladins followed as Allura explained the situation.

“Lance is probably in the forest near here. We’ll split up and find him. As soon as we find anything, we inform the others. If Shiro really attacked Lance, we shouldn’t face him alone,” Keith told them.

They did as he had told them, fear gripping at their guts.

 

—

 

Lance had barely had time to put on his helmet and run towards the forest, knowing that he really didn’t have any chance if he ran in open space. That had failed miserably. He was just about to tell them his location, knowing that at least Allura would hear him, when Shiro had caught him, hitting him on the side of his face with his metal arm.

Even with his helmet, Lance fell to the ground, feeling really dizzy and unfocused for a long moment. Shiro took off his helmet forcefully and pushed Lance on his back. The younger Paladin felt a hot wetness on his forehead as he slowly got his senses back. Seeing the imposing man towering over him, Lance fearfully tried to scramble away from him. He was terrified, he knew that he stood no chance against Shiro. He knew how this would end…

Shiro’s Galra arm lit up in its dangerous purple colour. He still had the same horrifying wicked smirk on his lips.

“That won’t do Lance. You’ve been a real pain in my ass, you know. Trying to get close to me… I even confided in you, but that was a mistake. And now, it’s too late, the others don’t trust me anymore and my cover has been blown. I’ll have to end the Team, and you’ll be my first victim. Oh, I’ll enjoy it so much,” Shiro told him as a sword appeared on Shiro’s Galra arm.

Lance was confused and terribly scared. He wished it was just a nightmare, or one of the things he had eaten or drank that made him hallucinate. But he soon realized it was real…

Shiro attacked him quickly and Lance barely dodged it. Luckily, he tripped next, escaping an attack that would’ve sliced his neck.

Lance’s heart was beating so hard in his chest, it almost hurt, and he could barely think straight. Only one word repeated in his mind.

_Escape, escape, escape, ESCAPE!_

Lance tried to stand back up, but then he felt blinding pain in his left thigh. He screamed in agony, closing his eyes tightly. It hurt… It hurt so bad.

Shiro then took out the sword he had cruelly plunged into Lance’s thigh. Lance let out another yelp and sobbed loudly.

“I can’t have you try to escape me again, Lance. I don’t like being rejected, you see,” Shiro told him before grabbing Lance’s shoulder and forcing him on his back once more, causing him to scream again.

“S-Shiro, please,” Lance pleaded through hiccups.

“It’s Ok, Lance, it won’t be long. I’ll put you out of your misery soon enough,” Shiro told him.

Terror filled Lance, and he still tried to move away, even though he knew it was useless.

Shiro dropped down on top of Lance then, grabbing the younger man’s neck. Lance struggled against him, panic and fear making it hard to think of a good way to free himself.

“So, what could I do that would make you suffer?” Shiro asked then.

He looked Lance over.

“Maybe I could cut your other thigh? Or maybe an arm this time? Or your hands? That would be bad, right? Knowing that even if you were somehow saved or survived, you would become even more useless to the team than you already are,” Shiro told him.

The words hurt Lance, but he was already in so much pain physically and so afraid that he couldn’t really care.

“Go to hell,” Lance told him, his voice full of anger, but also laced in terror.

“Oh, saying those words in this situation… You’ve got balls, Lance. Maybe I should mutilate them then?”  Shiro said.

Lance’s heart dropped. No…. No, it would kill him. Shiro laughed at Lance’s renewed panic.

“No, let’s keep the best for last,” Shiro decided. “Oh, I know!”

Shiro moved his metal hand to Lance’s face, the light and sword fading entirely. Lance was looking at Shiro with dread, expecting the worst. Shiro moved his thumb onto Lance’s left eyelid.

“Don’t struggle too much or it’ll hurt more,” Shiro warned him.

Then, there was only pure agony.

 

—

 

They had heard Lance’s scream earlier but couldn’t pinpoint where it had come from exactly. It had worried them a lot and they had all doubled their efforts.

Keith made his way anxiously through the forest, the part closer to the open area that led to the cliff. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins, making him move somewhat faster, even in the growingly dark environment.

“Lance?!” Keith yelled again, desperate.

Just the thought of Lance getting hurt made his chest uncomfortably tight. Now, he knew it was happening, but he couldn’t find him.

And then, another scream resounded in the forest, this one so raw, so loud and agonizing that it made Keith stop running.

This scream… This scream made him truly fear the worst.

He started running again even faster, towards what he thought to be the right direction. A few minutes later, Keith’s eyes fell on a puddle of blood in the middle of the woods. His heart skipped a beat. There was so much blood.

“Guys! I found blood in the forest on the right side near the cliff,” he told the rest of the team as he started to follow a trail of blood that led him out of the forest. He tuned out the others, focused on the noises around him. He couldn’t hear Lance.

The trail led outside the forest. Once out, he saw a scene that made him feel cold all over.

Shiro was standing near the edge of the cliff, holding an unconscious and bloody Lance by his neck, his feet dandling in the void below.

“No! Shiro, don’t do this!” Keith yelled.

“Oh, hey, Keith,” Shiro told him with a weird smile. “Don’t worry, he’s already dead.”

Keith felt like the ground below him had just disappeared.

“No… No!” Keith screamed in despair.

“…’snot true,” Keith heard Lance murmured then.

Keith looked at Lance, full of a strange hope. Lance had his head facing the sky, so Keith could only see his mouth moving.

“Come on, Lance. You spoiled it,” Shiro complained.

Keith summoned his Bayard, rage taking over his body. This wasn’t Shiro, he just knew it. And this monster had to die.

“Anyway, it’s too late now. Keith is gonna be my new toy. Goodbye, Lance,” Shiro said.

Keith’s legs moved before he could even process what was going to happen. Shiro’s grip loosened around Lance’s neck. Keith ran to Lance. No matter what, he had to try and save him. He leaped forward in a last determined attempt at reaching Lance, not caring about the fact that he had just jumped past the edge of the cliff, visibly surprising even the monster that had tortured Lance.

Keith saw Lance fall, a metre or two below him. He extended one of his arms as much as he could. His position was more aerodynamic than Lance’s, so he was falling a little faster than him. Their fingers brushed for a small moment. Keith let out a desperate yell as he finally grabbed Lance’s right wrist. And then, in an attempt to save them both, Keith sank his Bayard into the rock wall of the cliff. Their fall slowed down quickly, putting stress on his arm and shoulder, hurting him, but then they stopped abruptly and Keith’s whole arm was in intense pain a second later, so much that he almost passed out. Unfortunately, this small moment of pure pain made him let go of his Bayard and they continued their fall.

They hit water a few seconds later. A strong current pushed them away. Keith desperately tried to keep his hold on Lance and keep them afloat, but his right arm was hurting too much and was completely useless now. They hit rocks and were swallowed a few times under the waves of the river. Keith could barely see around him, overwhelmed by the never-ending water flow, the rocks hitting them, the pain in his arm and the fear of losing Lance. Even with his helmet on, keeping him from drowning, it was all too much.

And soon, despite his best efforts, he was forced to welcome darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Please leave kudos and comments! 
> 
> You can also follow me/send me asks or messages on Tumblr: Prettygoo-d
> 
> Also I made art for my this chapter because I reached 200 followers on Tumblr: https://prettygoo-d.tumblr.com/post/175344518394/i-reached-200-subscribers-thank-you-so-much


	13. Confusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> The others find out about what Shiro did to their friends.
> 
> Back to small chapters and regular updates!! I hope you'll like this small chapter. It's more of a stepping stone for the chapters coming up. Be prepared for even more angst! :P 
> 
> Also, I made a drawing for chapter 12 of this fic for reaching 200 followers on Tumblr: https://prettygoo-d.tumblr.com/post/175344518394/i-reached-200-subscribers-thank-you-so-much
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments!
> 
> Thanks!!

“Keith, no!” Allura screamed as she pierced through the wood, Hunk and Pidge following close behind.

She had just seen him jump past the cliff. Why did he do that? Their thrusters wouldn’t save him from a fall so high! Her eyes fell on Shiro, standing close to the edge, looking almost disappointed.

“Shiro, what’s gong on?” Pidge asked, worried and confused.

“Where’s Lance?” Hunk added, sounding even more concerned.

“You shouldn’t worry about those two, they’re already gone,” Shiro told them with a strange smile. “Too bad I couldn’t enjoy my time with Keith, though. He was so desperate to save Lance that he jumped when I dropped him down the cliff,” Shiro explained.

“You did what?” Allura asked, anger building up in her stomach.

She started walking towards Shiro who only looked annoyed at her reaction. She grabbed his collar.

“What the quiznack did you do to him?” She asked, her voice now full of rage.

At that, Shiro smiled wickedly. It looked so frightening on his features. Shiro was not the type to show such emotions… at least that’s what she thought before.

“I had a little fun with him. He’s probably dead by now. Keith jumped for nothing,” Shiro admitted.

“Why, Shiro? Why would you do something like that?” Hunk asked, scared and confused, completely overwhelmed by the situation.

“This… This isn’t Shiro,” Pidge replied.

Suddenly, Shiro grabbed Allura’s wrist with his Galra prosthetic and activated it. Allura felt it burn her skin and she cried out in pain, trying to move away only to fall to her knees.

“Allura!” Hunk called out to her, unsure of what to do.

“Don’t hurt her!” Pidge yelled as she attacked him without hesitation.

Shiro let go of Allura’s wrist to block Pidge’s attack. Her Bayard was diverted to the side and got stuck in a tree. Shiro turned back to Allura as she stood up and summoned her Bayard as well. He started fighting her right away. The Princess was known to be stronger than Shiro in normal conditions, but with her burned wrist and his overwhelming attacks, she was forced into defence.

Hunk was at a loss, unable to move or intervene, still confused by what was happening. Pidge, however, made her Bayard go back into her belt and summoned it again right away to free it from the tree. She ran to the duo and fired it at Shiro. It wrapped around his metal arm just as it was about to grab Allura’s shoulder, and then she activated the electric current, making Shiro fall to his knees with a scream. It didn’t sound pained but more like angry. Unsure of what to do, she looked at Allura who agreed to her unvoiced thoughts. Pidge electrified him once again. Shiro fell face down to the ground, unconscious. It left the tree of them in shock, unable to move for a long moment.

Coran was the one to get them back to reality.

“Paladins? What’s going on? Where did you all go?” He asked over the coms.

“Coran… We have to get back to the Castle right away. Something happened with Shiro,” Allura told them. “Keith and Lance are missing. Lance is probably hurt. We need to find them as soon as possible.”

“Alright, Princess, I’ll be there right away,” Coran answered, clearly trying to sound calm even though he was probably as confused and scared as them.

Allura turned to face Pidge and Hunk. “You two go back to your Lions and search for Lance and Keith. I’ll take care of getting Shiro back to the Castle.”

They agreed and left immediately, and Allura brought Shiro back to the Castle.

She barely stayed a few ticks after he was placed in a cryopod.

She had more pressing matters to take care of.

Keith and Lance needed their help now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Please leave kudos and comments! 
> 
> You can also follow me/send my asks or messages on Tumblr: Prettygoo-d  
> Here's the link to my Fanfic Master Post: https://prettygoo-d.tumblr.com/post/171987565409/fanfic-master-post-hi-everyone-heres-a-fanfic


	14. Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> In this chapter, we get a look at what happened to Lance and Keith... 
> 
> I had so many ideas for this fic, I thought it would be super long and all, but turns out it might be shorter than expected. Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this angsty chapter. 
> 
> Also, it turns out my style remains the same. At first, I wanted this fic to be more free and short and dialogue-focused, but oh well, I hope you all still like it! 
> 
> Trigger warning: mention of blood and injury. 
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments! 
> 
> Thanks!!

“Keith…” A small raspy voice asked. “Keith… Please… Wake up.”

Lance…

Keith opened his eyes, confused and hurting. His whole body was sore and there was a sharp pain in his left shoulder. His head was throbbing and it felt like something heavy was on top of him. He looked around, but he could only make out the starlit sky above him, still a bit clear, which meant the sun had just set, but then his eyes fell on his chest where he could barely make out Lance’s form lit up by the gentle blue lights of their Paladin gears.

Awful memories came flooding back in his mind, overwhelming and terrible as his eyes adjusted to the darkness surrounding them.

“Lance! Lance, are you okay?” Keith asked, voice as raspy as Lance’s.

“Keith…” Lance replied simply, sounding relieved.

Lance didn’t move though. Keith’s heart squeezed as he recalled what he had seen of Lance’s injuries. He gently pushed Lance aside with his right arm, hissing in pain as he sat up to have a good look at his teammate, who only winced at the movement. Keith tried the coms right away, but no sound came out. It had received many hits in the river and the coms were probably broken.

“Damn it, the coms don’t work…” He cursed out loud, informing Lance of this problem at the same time.

 At least, the lights were working. With that they weren’t completely blind and helpless. They could move around and Keith would be able to help the Cuban boy.

He looked Lance over. It… It was worse than he thought. Lance’s left thigh had been stabbed, a flow of blood still coming out of the wound. On the right side of his forehead, there was a big cut with a bump and an angry bruise, probably from a strong hit. And his left eye… His left eyelid had been burned deeply. Keith could see that Lance would probably never be able to see from this eye again.

Shiro had tortured Lance and caused him so much pain. Keith felt guilty. He should’ve reacted sooner, should’ve searched for Lance when he didn’t show up after a few dobashes, should’ve even gone outside with him….

“I’m so sorry, Lance,” Keith said as frustrated tears started falling down his cheeks.

Suddenly, Lance’s right hand was on his cheek. Keith looked at Lance, surprised by the gentle touch. Lance was smiling softly, even if Keith could still see the pain and the fear in the other boy’s remaining eye.

“…’s ok,” Lance told him simply, letting his hand slowly get back to the ground.

Keith wanted to scream, he wanted to yell that it clearly wasn’t Ok. Was Lance blind or what? Oh… Yeah, he was, partially, but that didn’t calm Keith’s thoughts at all. What did though was the dire situation in which Lance was. He had lost a lot of blood already, so they had to take care of the wound on Lance’s left thigh as soon as possible. At least, Lance’s left eye had been cauterized. And the other worrying thing was the possible concussion due to the hit to the head he had visibly received from Shiro.

Keith had to make sure Lance survived until the others found them. He knew he could count on them, but he didn’t know exactly how much time would pass before help came. Their team would also have to deal with Shiro, or whoever this monster was, before they searched for them.

Keith looked around quickly. They were in an open space, still really close to the river, propped up on a rock on the side of it. They clearly hadn’t been pulled over by the current, a wave or simple luck.

Keith looked at Lance, surprised and scared. It was Lance’s doing, but how?

“You saved us?” Keith asked.

Keith was so angry at himself. Shit, _he_ was supposed to be the one saving Lance, not the other way around!

“You protected us… Took most of the hits from the rocks…I had to do something,” Lance explained weakly.

Keith felt like he had failed Lance even more, but at least they were both alive.

Well, it wouldn’t stay this way if he didn’t do something soon for Lance’s still bleeding wound. Also, the sound of Lance’s voice and the fact he wasn’t his usual chatterbox was really worrying.

“Thanks,” Keith replied simply as he tried to stand up, ready to do anything to ensure their survival.

His left shoulder flared up in pain again, causing him to pause for a second. He looked at himself. He had scratches everywhere and his left shoulder was weirdly slumped. It was dislocated…

Keith knew how to fix a dislocated shoulder, it wasn’t the first time it had happened to him, but it didn’t mean it would hurt less.

“You ok?” Lance rasped.

“Yeah, just a dislocated shoulder. I’ll have to put it back in its socket,” Keith explained, standing up fully with a wince on his face.

“Gross,” Lance commented.

Keith smiled at that, but his smile dropped as soon as Lance closed his remaining eye for more than a few ticks. Seeing him hurt and barely moving on the ground with his eye closed... It scared the hell out of him, even if he knew Lance was still alive.

“You stay awake, ok?” Keith requested, worry evident in his voice.

Lance hummed in response. Keith then proceeded to reach a nearby tree and replace his shoulder. He had no time to lose.

Still, he couldn’t contain the pained scream that escaped his lips. His vision wavered for a moment and he fell to his knees, slumped against the tree, but his will to stay awake to help Lance won over.

“Keith?” Lance asked, panicked and concerned, already trying to move despite his injuries and exhaustion.

“I’m ok! It just… It just hurt a lot,” Keith reassured him.

This stupid beautiful Cuban boy was worried about him while he… while he himself was freaking dying. Keith let out another curse. He was so angry at their awful situation. Just when he had realized his feelings for Lance…

He stood up again and walked back to Lance. He quickly took off his upper Paladin gear and then, with his BOM blade, he started cutting strips of his black suit from his arms. Lance had settled back down and closed his eye again. He hadn’t made a sound for a long moment and it made Keith feel really uneasy. He had to proceed faster.

“Lance? I’m going to remove the armour from your left thigh. It’s going to hurt a lot,” Keith warned him.

Lance hummed in acknowledgement.

He winced and whimpered as Keith took off the armour with as much care as he could, but also as quickly as possible. Keith apologized repetitively. Finally, Lance’s leg was free to patch up with the strips from Keith’s suit.

“K-Keith, wait…” Lance pleaded before Keith started to wrap the strips around his thigh.

“Lance, I know it hurts, but I… I can’t lose you, Ok? So, I have to do this right now,” Keith explained as he started to work around Lance’s thigh.

Lance yelped when Keith tightened the first strip around his wound. The Cuban boy sobbed loudly and shamefully as Keith did so with five more strips. When it was finally done, they were both completely exhausted.

“I’m so sorry,” Keith said for the hundredth time, bringing the other boy in his lap in a comforting embrace.

Lance didn’t answer, only extended his shaking right hand in front of him for the half-Galra to take. Keith grabbed it tightly. He noticed then how Lance favorized his right arm. He remembered their fall and how he had tried to save them by sticking his Bayard in the cliff. Keith’s shoulder had been dislocated because of that, so Lance probably had another injury hidden under his armour.

Keith hoped their friends would come to their aid soon.

Lance’s current state terrified him deeply.

He would do anything to save him.

Keith needed him in his life.

He needed him alive


	15. Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers!
> 
> This chapter is about Lance's perspective of his degrading state. 
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments!
> 
> Thanks!!

Lance was so in pain, every touch, every movement, every spasm hurt him. His left leg felt numb now, thanks to Keith wrapping it up tightly to stop the blood flow. He tried to keep his eyes open, but it demanded too much energy, and if he wanted to get through this he needed to save as much energy as he could.

This whole situation was horrible. Except for the fact that Keith was there with him. That, he was pretty grateful for. Even more so for the fact that he was in his lap now.

It wasn’t the first time the other boy cradled him in his arms, even though he had lied to Keith about not remembering their bonding moment. Ok, Lance was really sorry for that, he just didn’t know how to react to the internal gay crisis he was experiencing at that time, so he had denied everything regarding it. Now, he regretted it. Maybe he would have realized his feelings sooner if he had… Maybe he would’ve already confessed… Maybe they would’ve already been together...

Great, now he was being delirious because of the blood loss. This was bad…

At least, Keith’s close presence and his hand in his grounded him, made him stay awake when unconsciousness tugged dangerously to his mind. He knew that if he let it go, he wouldn’t wake up. It scared him.

His breathing quickened as a wave of dizziness struck him. It passed a few ticks later with a promise to come back stronger next time.

But what scared him even more was to leave Keith alone. The half-Galra might have been a loner, he still didn’t deserve to have one of his friends die in his arms.

Friends…

Lance was a bit sad at that thought. Should he tell him? Keith probably didn’t reciprocate his feelings, but he felt like he needed to tell him about them before it was too late. Lance wanted to be optimistic, but the reality was that he could feel his body becoming worse by the dobash. And anyway, what would happen to him if he was saved? The pod would probably be able to save his leg, but not his eye… And without his eye, he wouldn’t be able to be a Paladin anymore. No matter what, he would leave his space family.

He would leave Keith.

At this point, telling Keith wouldn’t do much in the future, but it would allow him to leave with some kind of peace of mind, not burdened by feelings he never told him.

Lance felt a coldness settle in his limbs.

The nights were cold on this planet.

Or maybe it was the blood loss.

He was so tired now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things aren't looking good for Lance... :)
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading :D  
> Please leave kudos and comments! 
> 
> You can also follow me/send me an ask or a message on Tumblr: Prettygoo-d


	16. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> Lance and Keith are still alone together as their hope fades away. 
> 
> So... This is sad (Alexa play Despacito). I am uncertain if I should end it in the next two chapters or continue it (I have some ideas, but nothing written yet). Tell me in the comments section what you want me to do! 
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments! 
> 
> Thanks!!

Keith didn’t know exactly how much time had passed, probably less than one hour and a half since he woke up, but the more time passed, the more anxious he felt. They stayed by the river, remaining in clear view from the sky. He knew their friends would come, but the sounds of the Lions still felt so far away.

“Lance? Are you still with me?” Keith inquired softly.

Lance hummed in answer. It didn’t help Keith’s anxiety much honestly. And then, to make matters worse, Lance started shivering and his breathing became a bit shallow.

Keith brought him closer to his chest and rubbed his hand on his arm to create friction and warm him up a bit. Then Lance stirred and opened his only eye.

Lance looked so pale and tired.

“K-Keith… I’m cold,” Lance stuttered.

Keith’s chest squeezed painfully. He knew Lance was cold, but still, hearing the small fearful words escape his mouth made it all worse.

“I know, it won’t be long. The others are coming,” Keith answered.

These words were so important, it was their hope.

“I… I want you to… know something…” Lance started, each word sounding harder and harder to say with his too quick breaths and worrying weakened state.

“Don’t talk, save your energy and tell me when you’re all healed up, Ok?” Keith said, unable to hide the fear in his voice.

“No… I need to say it now…” Lance replied, determined.

Keith couldn’t argue anymore. Lance was stubborn, and normally Keith was as stubborn as him, but now was not the time to argue.

“Keith, I… I like you… like a lot,” Lance told him.

Keith felt his heart shatter by those words. A sob escaped him. These words… They should have made any day the best of his life, they should have brought him deep happiness, but they didn’t. Instead, they hurt terribly.

“Sorry… Didn’t mean… to make you cry,” Lance told him then.

Keith let go of Lance’s hand to try to wipe away his tears, but the flow seemed unstoppable.

“I love you, Lance. So… stay with me a bit longer, please,” Keith pleaded.

Lance’s remaining eye widened up in surprise before his features settled in a soft expression. Tears welled up in his eye.

“I love you too, Keith,” Lance chocked out, smiling even in their hopeless situation.

Keith brought Lance closer, hugging him as he rocked them both.

Lance became limp in his arms a few ticks later.

His left arm fell to the ground.

Keith felt like this was it.

This was the end.


	17. Weak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> Hunk finally find Keith and Lance. 
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy this chapter, it's from Hunk's POV! :)
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments!
> 
> Thanks!!

“Oh my God, guys, I found them!” Hunk yelled over the coms.

Yellow quickly landed near the duo and Hunk got out immediately.

“We’re on our way, Hunk. What’s their condition?” He heard Allura ask, but he couldn’t answer her.

Keith was holding Lance in his arms, rocking them both and crying loudly. Hunk felt like time had stopped as his mind tried to process what he was seeing.

No… No no no no no!

Shiro, or whatever monster this Shiro was, had been right. Lance was gone before they could reach them. Lance was…

“Hunk! Hurry! I can’t lift him up, you have to bring him to the castle right away!” Keith yelled.

It brought him back to reality instantly. He had never heard so much fear and desperation in Keith’s voice. Hunk joined the duo quickly. He took Lance in his arms. He was unresponsive and the wounds he had were terrible, but Hunk couldn’t let it get to him now. He could still feel the other boy’s fading warmth. Lance needed him.

Keith followed behind him and they all entered the Yellow Lion in a matter of ticks. Hunk put Lance on one of the benches in Yellow’s belly. He took a second to assess Lance’s state. It was bad… really bad. But Lance was still breathing, even if it was almost imperceptible. They had to hurry.

Or else Hunk would lose his best friend.

Hunk ran to Yellow’s cockpit as Keith dropped down on his knees beside Lance and took his teammate’s hand.

Hunk flew to the Castle with a speed he didn’t know his Lion was even capable of. It could’ve competed with Red’s speed.

Hunk’s repressed stress and anxiety was building up in his stomach.

He felt like he would puke his guts out at any moment.

But he couldn’t let his weaknesses take over now.

Too much was at stake, he couldn’t fail.

He needed to save Lance.


	18. Pray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> Keith's prayers and thoughts as they fly to the Castle of Lions. Hunk will do anything to save his best friend. 
> 
> Here's an angsty little chapter for you all! I hope you'll like it :)
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments!
> 
> Thanks!!

Keith wasn’t a religious person, but he prayed. He prayed to any spirit, any god… the whole universe!

He prayed that they would make it in time, that Lance would survive.

He was holding onto Lance’s hand so tight he could feel the other boy’s pulse… until he couldn’t. When the weak beat under his fingers stopped, Keith thought he was the one who had just died.

It was suddenly hard to breathe, hard to think, he felt dizzy…

“No no no…. Lance, come on, you can’t… No, you can’t do this!” Keith said, standing up and taking the Blue Paladin’s head in his shaky hands, as if to wake him up, as if he would just open his beautiful eyes at Keith’s request.

Lance was so cold now.

Panic rose in Keith’s whole being and hit him full force then. He had thought Lance would make it. He had really believed it…

And then there was a hand on his shoulder, making the excess panic and stress die down in an instant.

“Stand back, Keith, I got this,” Hunk said then with a confidence that surprised Keith. “I know CPR, and Coran is on his way. I’ll do whatever I can to hep him, I promise.”

Hunk was always the most scared of them all, always the more anxious one too. He was the one who let his emotions take over the most in their team. But Keith knew he could count on him anyway, because Hunk was still always able to work well even against his own fears.

But Keith had never seen Hunk react with such determination and fortitude before. In that moment, the Red Paladin was strangely the one incapacitated by his fears.

He stepped aside and watched Hunk tend to Lance, taking off the Cubn boy’s upper armour and pushing strongly and rhythmically against his chest.

Keith had never been so terrified in his life.

He had faced so many dangers and life-threatening experiences before, but this one was worse. It was worse, because Lance counted a lot more to him than he had thought before.

Because Lance’s life was more important to him than even his own.

Because he couldn’t imagine a future without him.

Because he loved Lance.


	19. Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers!
> 
> In this chapter, Coran takes care of his two wounded space nephews...
> 
> I thought of ending this fic after this, but in the end I decided to continue it. So, that means the team isn't finished with Kuron yet (and Haggar too)!
> 
> Anyway, we'll go back to fluff in the next chapters, and then there will be a lot of angst again! Yeah! :) 
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments :D
> 
> Thanks!!

Wishes don’t always come true, no matter how much you pray. Sometimes, you have to do things yourself to make them happen.

So that’s just what Coran did. He ran with a stretcher to the Yellow Lion as it entered its hangar. The mechanical beast opened its mouth and let Coran in right away. He found Hunk and Keith there, towering over the immobile form that was the Blue Paladin. Hunk was doing compressions on Lance’s chest.

The Cuban boy’s heart had stopped beating.

Coran knew the situation was dire, but he didn’t expect Lance to be already… He couldn’t even think about the next awful word, they would make things too real, and nothing was lost until Coran had done everything in his power to save the younger man’s life.

Hunk put Lance on the stretcher as soon as Coran arrived near them. They ran again, but this time to the infirmary. Once there, Coran would have all the necessary tools to provide for Lance.

The Altean man took a good look at the Blue Paladin while on their way. His chest squeezed in anguish at the wounds and the worrying amount of blood covering his body. The poor boy… These injuries were horrible. Shiro had really tormented him. This was a real-life nightmare.

They finally arrived and Coran didn’t waste any tick. He cut off the Paladin undersuit to free the Earthling’s chest of any material and restart his heart based on the medical knowledge he had of humans compared to Alteans. They were generally weaker than Alteans, so Coran choose a smaller dose of the liquid they used back on Altea to restart someone’s heart.

Following his training from long ago, he put in three shots of the medicine around Lance’s heart. Then he waited a bit. The medicine could take up to 15 seconds before taking effect.

“Coran, what are you doing? We have to do a defibrillation!” Keith yelled in indignation.

“Keith, come with me, we’ll let Coran work…” Allura started calmly, even though on the inside she was probably as panicked as anyone on the Team right now… Well, except Shiro.

“No, I’m not leaving him!” Keith replied in anger. “I’m not…” he reiterated softly.

And, in that moment, they could all feel the Red Paladin’s sadness and fear. They could all feel how much it would truly hurt him if Lance’s heart didn’t start beating again.

There were a few ticks of profound quietness as they all shared the same feelings as Keith, and suddenly a marvelous rhythmic sound filled the silence.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

All eyes turned to the heart monitor. Lance’s chest was moving and everyone felt the weight of the world lift off their shoulders.

Lance’s heart was beating.

It was beating again!

But Coran couldn’t let the flow of emotions take over his body yet, he had to stabilize Lance’s condition and take care of the remaining wounds and blood loss before anything else.

So, Coran did just that and in a matter of dobashes, Lance was in a healing pod. He would live, even if the recovery would take a long time. His eye, however, would never heal, but what really mattered was that he was alive.

Keith collapsed soon after Lance’s condition was secured. He looked exhausted and was probably wounded as well. So, they assessed his physical state and put him in a pod as well. He was lucky, only a dislocated shoulder, a couple of bruises and scratches and a mild concussion. He would be out of the pods before Lance and without any lasting repercussion, unlike the Blue Paladin.

Coran could finally let a few grateful tears fall down his cheeks. He cared so much for these young people. They were like his adopted niece and nephews. He loved them like they were his real family. He couldn’t even imagine losing more people he cared about.

It made him think of Shiro and wonder what they would possibly do to fix all this.

At least, Lance and Keith were out of danger at the moment.

Their team was watching over them.

Keeping them safe…

for now.


	20. Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers!
> 
> Here's a sweet chapter. More fluff coming ;) 
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments! 
> 
> Thanks!!

Lance stumbled out of the pod, panic growing in his stomach at the sensation of disorientation.

“Oh, hey, calm down, Lance. You’re ok, you’re safe now,” a beautiful caring voice told him as strong comforting arms settled on his shoulders.

His eye fell into deep purple ones.

“Keith,” Lance breathed.

And then, Keith was hugging him tight. Lance hugged him back with a grip even stronger, as if this dreamy reality would just fade away if he let go just a tiny bit. He was so happy they were both alive and feeling Keith so close made Lance feel secure. Keith was there, he was fine too.

“I’m here, you’re safe,” Keith replied, voice emotional.

After a too small moment, Lance and Keith separated a bit and Lance’s left arm made its way to his left eye. He couldn’t see from it. Keith caught his hand before it reached its destination. Lance looked at him with a bit of sadness. Keith only shook his head slowly, regret evident in his features.

Lance couldn’t handle seeing such emotions on Keith’s face… and also became quickly really embarrassed by the fact that Keith was holding his hand so gently. He took back his hand in a fast movement as a deep red colour spread over his cheeks and ears.

“We’re, hum… We’re back at the Castle,” Lance said then, voice abnormally high as he changed subject in the most awkward way possible.

“Yes, Number 3, Hunk found you both and brought you back to the Castle just in time,” Coran answered.

“Don’t ever do that to us again, buddy. We almost lost you!” Hunk yelled as he suddenly hugged Keith and Lance, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“We’re glad you two made it out alive,” Allura added, joining the hug with Coran and Pidge.

“Yeah, you fucking scared us!” Pidge said with tears in her eyes.

There was silence after that. Everyone seemed to be waiting for something, for someone to reprimand Pidge for her inappropriate language… they were waiting for Shiro.

Everyone’s eyes then turned to another pod near them. Lance looked at it too, imitating his friends. A shiver ran down his back. Shiro was in there, frozen.

“We captured him, but we’ll have to do some deeper research to know exactly why this happened,” Pidge explained.

“For now, we’ll keep him in there, so there is nothing to worry about,” Coran added, mindful of Lance’s possible trauma and fear regarding Shiro.

“Oh, you must be starving now, so why don’t we head to the kitchen? I’ll make you big plate of your favourite space macaroni, and cookies too!” Hunk said, breaking the growingly tense atmosphere.

“Good idea, Hunk,” Allura commented. “I think everyone would enjoy a good meal.”

The intestinal heal in Coran’s belly squealed in agreement and everyone laughed. Lance’s eyes found their way unconsciously to Keith’s luminous smile. But Lance also noticed the dark circles under his eyes and the unkempt hair. Keith must have been really worried about him and probably stressed by this whole situation.

But, at least, he looked to be relatively happy now, and that made Lance happy too. And just like that, memories of their confession made their way back into his mind. The blush came back full force. Seriously, he wasn’t even sure it was true. How could it be? Keith, top fighter pilot in his old school, incredibly good looking half-alien, future true Black Paladin… There was no way he could really fall for Lance. He was only a boy from Cuba, an average pilot, who had no special talent unlike many others in this universe. Yeah, no, he had probably imagined all that confession thing. He was in so much pain and he had lost a lot of blood, that could make you hallucinate things, right? Right. So, he stepped away from Keith a bit, even as his heart seemed conflicted.

Should he talk to him about these memories he had, even if he wasn’t sure they were real?

But why would it matter now that Lance would probably have to leave his space family?

How could he ever be his boyfriend if they lived light-years away from each other?

Anyway, this was only a small problem amongst all that had happened.

They would have to take care of these many problems soon.

But, for now, they all needed to relax a bit.


	21. Official

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dear readers! 
> 
> Here's a fluffy chapter of Keith and Lance having a late-night talk on the bridge. 
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments! 
> 
> Thanks!!

Keith couldn’t sleep. The team had spent the day relaxing, watching space movies and spending some quality family time together. It had been fun and all… but Keith hadn’t had the opportunity to talk to Lance in private.

The things they had told each other… He wanted them to be true, and not something Lance said because of the blood loss or concussion. He wanted Lance to tell him he loved him again.

He _needed_ to hear him say these words again.

He stood up from his bed and got out of his room. He stopped in front of Lance’s room for a moment. The other boy was probably asleep, so he continued his walk, going around the Castle. At some point, he felt something like a calling. It was really weird and it resembled the feeling he had had when he was in the desert back on Earth. So, he followed it.

He finally arrived to the main deck where a star map was spread all around the room, making it almost look magical with all these light dots and planets floating in the air. He walked in and found Lance sitting on the stairs, hugging his knees to his chest.

“Hey? You’re not asleep?” Keith asked gently.

Lance was visibly startled by the sudden question, long limbs flying in all directions as a small shrill escaped his lips. The look of surprise on Lance’s face was pretty funny, Keith loved it, even… even when the eye patch on Lance’s left eye made him remember how he hadn’t been able to get to Lance in time to save all of him.

“Keith! What the hell?! You scared the shit out of me,” Lance yelled.

“I saw that. It was pretty gracious,” Keith commented with a laugh, sitting down beside Lance.

He noticed the boy moved a bit as if to distance himself from Keith. The half-Galra hardly repressed a frown. So… Was it all just forgotten again, like their first bonding moment?

“So, what brings you here?” Lance asked.

“Insomnia,” Keith replied simply. “What about you?”

Lance was silent for a long moment as he went back to his original position, looking at the floating dots in front of him, making his blue eyes shine a bit. Keith couldn't help but think he looked beautiful, even if he seemed really thoughtful and kind of sad. Keith thought Lance wouldn’t tell him, and he didn’t want to push him to talk. But then he started talking.

“I… I always looked forward to going back to Earth, y’know. Seeing my family again, telling everyone that I’m a hero, that I fight bad guys in space and fly an awesome space Lion and all… But, it’s weird now, I don’t want to go back yet. I guess I expected the war to be over and everyone else to go back to Earth with me, but I’m the only one who's going to go back. And it’s because I can’t help you anymore, because I couldn’t even hold my ground against… against an enemy, because I’m weak and useless and…”

Keith couldn’t let him continue. Hearing these words and the anguish behind them hurt him. In a quick movement, he was in front of Lance, his hands on each side of the other boy’s face forcing him to look into his eyes.

“Stop that right now,” he said in a commanding voice that sounded way softer than he had expected. “You’re not going back to Earth yet, ok? And you’re not useless or weak. You’re a strong Paladin of Voltron and an important member of our team. You’re our sharpshooter, remember? And we’ll find a solution for your eye. Pidge and Hunk have already been working on that, so don’t worry. You know they’ll find a way to fix it. Lance, I… we need you, ok?” Keith told him.

Lance was looking at him with his remaining eye wide and full of emotions. He seemed conflicted.

“O-ok,” he stuttered after a moment with a small smile.

Keith let go of Lance’s face then. He was pretty proud of how the words had stumbled out of his mouth. He wasn’t used to comforting people. He had never had many friends back on Earth and was simply a loner, so his social skills were awful, but things had gone better than the first time he had tried to reassure Lance of his place on the team. Yeah, he was starting to get the whole leader-like role, even if he still had a lot to learn and would probably jump on the opportunity to give the title to any of his team members.

“You should try and get some rest now,” Keith told him, standing up and heading to exit the bridge with Lance.

Again, look at him being all leader-like.

But then, Lance grabbed his wrist, so low that it had almost been his hand.

“Keith… I have a question about what happened that night, when I almost died,” Lance started. “I have these memories, but they are kinda foggy. Did I… say anything to you? Anything important?”

Keith looked at Lance who had his eyes on the ground.

“Yes, you did,” Keith answered.

For once, with Lance and him in this kind of situation, his brain seemed clear. What Lance had said that night was too important to him. So, he continued...

“You said you liked me a lot… You said you loved me,” Keith admitted as Lance’s eyes finally met his.

“And you…” Lance started.

“And I confessed too,” Keith replied.

“Did you mean it? Or was it just because I was dying?” Lance asked.

“I meant it,” Keith answered right away, not an once of hesitation in his voice. “You?”

“Me too,” Lance replied.

“I thought you would pretend it didn’t happen or not remember it,” Keith admitted with a smile.

His heart was beating fast as he stepped closer to Lance who stood up.

“Yeah, I get why you would think that of me, and I’m very sorry for that first bonding moment,” Lance said.

“I knew you remembered! I’ll never forgive you!” Keith exclaimed, almost angry.

“I said I was sorry!” Lance replied. “And, anyway, you made me pay for that already, you left me tied up to this trunk on that moon where we met Nima and Rollo for a full hour!”

“Ah, yeah, that was funny,” Keith said.

“No, it was not!” Lance replied, now being the angry one. “I hate you.”

“No, you already confessed that you love me,” Keith replied.

There was silence for a moment as Lance pouted, but then his features softened and a small smile appeared on his lips.

“Yeah,” Lance admitted. “I love you, Keith.”

Keith’s heart squeezed at the wonderful words. He would never get tired of hearing them.

“I love you too, Lance,” he replied.

“So… We’re dating now?” Lance asked awkwardly.

“I guess, yeah,” Keith answered.

“Oh, ok, that’s cool,” Lance said.

“You’re such a dork,” Keith commented.

“And you’re an emo, but we still make a great team, don’t we?” Lance replied.

“Yeah, we do,” Keith agreed.

They walked back to their room, holding hands, and separated when they reached their rooms.

They felt like nothing could make them unhappy in that instant.

Their hearts were content and at peace for the moment.

Thanks to that, they were able to fall asleep that night.

There were no nightmares, and no anxiety.

Just a sense of fullness and love.

Their relationship was official.

They were together now.

And until the end.


	22. Target

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers!!
> 
> Keith and Lance train together. Pidge, Hunk and Allura work on a new eye for Lance. Haggar isn't done with them. 
> 
> Very sorry for the wait! I've been working full-time and going to work in bike (~2h everyday). It's been a really exhausting week and I ended up not having much time or energy to write. 
> 
> I watched the 7th season of Voltron though and I really loved it :D! It might be my favourite so far. If anyone wants to leave a comment on this chapter or an ask/message on Tumblr (Prettygoo-d) to share their appreciation of the season don't hesitate :) 
> 
> Thanks!!

“I can’t do this anymore! I’m done!” Lance yelled storming out of the training room.

He had tried, really, but there was nothing he could do.

“Wait, Lance! If you could just…” Keith started, following his boyfriend.

“You don’t get it, Keith! I just can’t shoot anymore, it’s not working,” Lance said in anger stopping in his track to face his boyfriend. “This was a stupid idea…”

When Keith had offered to train with him, Lance hadn’t been sure it was a good idea with one of his eyes gone. Shooting was his only real skill, and even if he had other fighting skills, what could he do with a missing eye? So, yeah, his mood wasn’t so good at first, but then it just got worst when the training started and Lance couldn’t even shoot a single target as they attacked Keith and him relentlessly. He was supposed to be Keith’s right hand, but he couldn’t have his back anymore. It angered him.

It hurt him.

“Stop being so stubborn, for quiznack’s sake! You just started, and it’s only temporary, until Hunk and Pidge have found something to replace your eye,” Keith explained.

“Why are you so persistent? I’ll have to relearn it all when I get that supposed new eye anyway,” Lance complained.

“I… I just don’t want you to be helpless until then. If you get attacked again, I want you to be able to fight back even with your eye missing,” Keith admitted.

Lance remained silent for a long moment. Keith’s words were sincere and deep. They made Lance realized that his actual helplessness wasn’t only hurting and scaring him.

“O-ok, I get it, I’ll try again,” he finally answered walking back in the training room.

He was still frustrated, but he understood what motivated Keith. He was his boyfriend now and he wanted Lance to be strong enough to protect himself, because he obviously loved him. The thought made him feel tickly inside.

Lance summoned his Bayard and positioned himself. Keith came beside him, also getting ready. They smiled at each other before the training began again.

 

—

 

Allura heard an angry yell coming from the Green Lion’s hangar. There she saw Pidge taping furiously on her computer as Hunk tried to put out the burning prototype they were making for Lance’s new eye. The both of them had been working on their self-assigned project without rest for the past quintents.

“Paladins, is everything alright?” Allura asked, concerned.

“Yeah, yeah Allura, the prototype blew up, again, but there’s obviously nothing wrong with that,” Hunk snapped.

The poor young man had bags under his eyes and looked really annoyed by this whole situation.

“May I help?” She asked.

“How?” Pidge asked, her eyes remaining on the computer in front of her.

“Altean magic,” She replied simply, catching her friend’s immediately, their eyes lifting up to look at her.

“Oh, yeah, why didn’t we think of that earlier?” Hunk exclaimed. “But aren’t you super busy with Lotor and your ‘project’?” Hunk asked, teasing her with a knowing glance.

“Well, we informed Lotor of what happened with Shiro, and we told him we had to take care of Lance and Shiro before we could continue with his project. What matters most right now is our team,” she explained.

Hunk and Pidge smiled at her, visibly grateful that she had put her priorities on their space families. Yes, she treasured the time she spent with Lotor and supported him as the new emperor of the Galra Empire, but her space family needed her help for the moment.

Lotor would have to wait.

 

—

 

“Set a course to the Castle of Lions,” Haggar told her new subordinates, those half-Galra women that used to follow Lotor.

The old witch was looking out the window of the cruiser she was boarding. Things had not gone the way she had predicted, but nothing was lost yet. The Voltron Paladins still had the Champion’s clone in custody. He just needed a little help to finally crush the Voltron Paladins, and she would provide him the necessary help.

Soon, everything would be over for them, now that she knew exactly who to target

The person who would cause them all the most torment.

The real heart of Voltron.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!   
> Please leave kudos and comments! :)


	23. Back to You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> Lance and Keith spend some quality time together and with their space family. 
> 
> This is a super fluffy chapter. Probably the fluffiest of them all so far for this fic!! 
> 
> I hope you'll like it! 
> 
> Thanks!!

“What? No way! I totally shot down 7 targets out of 10 this time!” Lance said.

How could Keith doubt him? Lance felt betrayed. Really.

“Oh, yeah? Then you’ll show me you were right tomorrow then, deal?” Keith asked.

Lance knew what he was agreeing to, but it didn’t matter, he could totally do it again. He liked how things had been going these past few days. Spending so much time with his new lover had made things easier for him. He still had trouble sleeping and all, but he felt like things could get better, just like his shooting skills, even with one eye gone.

“Deal,” Lance said with a determined smile, taking the other boy’s hand as they made their way to their rooms.

They were still hot and sweaty from their training, and Lance couldn’t help the perverted thoughts that crossed his mind. Honestly, Keith was way too hot for him to be able to control his imagination. Just seeing him panting, face flushed, hair dishevelled… No! He had to stop right now or his body would betray him, and that would be super embarrassing.

Lance looked away and let his mind wander elsewhere, but it came back to Keith only a few ticks after. Damn mind… And damn Keith for being so hard to keep off his head!

Honestly, Lance was still surprised that they were dating. It felt surreal, but he was glad. Without him, Lance would’ve kept sulking and doing the strict minimum to survive until the new eye was ready. Things would’ve been sad, but Keith made them more than bearable. He made them enjoyable. Gosh, even training was fun now!

Yeah, Lance was really grateful that Keith put so much effort into helping him.

“Anyway, hum, thanks for motivating me, Samourai,” he added more quietly.

“No problem. I knew you’d get the hang of it at some point,” Keith said, smiling softly at him.

Lance felt like he was falling even more in love with the other boy.

He could never get enough of Keith’s smile.

It was like the purest thing.

Lance loved it so much.

He loved him.

 

—

 

After their showers, they met with the others in the dinning room. Coran was just finishing placing everyone’s bowl of goo in front of their usual spot.

“Goo again?” Lance complained, making his way to his seat beside Keith.

“Sorry, Buddy, I have my hands full with your new eye,” Hunk explained.

“It’s a small price to pay I guess. Thank you for your help, guys,” Lance replied.

“How’s it going by the way?” Keith asked.

“It’s progressing a lot faster with Allura’s help. There are still some things we struggle with though, especially with the sonar imaging and the 3D mapping, but it shouldn’t take much longer at this rate!” Pidge said cheerfully.

“Wait, what? Isn’t that what my Bayard does?” Lance asked, confused.

“Oh, yeah, we made some cool additions to your eye while we were at it. It’ll help you analyze battle situations and provide more accuracy when shooting and sniping,” Pidge explained.

“It’s going to be super cool, dude. You were a real good shot before, but you’re gonna be even better once you get used to your new eye,” Hunk agreed.

Lance felt really emotional, seeing them being so determined to create something so cool for him. He had been scared, truly, but now he really felt like he wasn’t expendable, like he was wanted.

Keith took his hand underneath the table and squeezed it, bringing Lance’s attention to him. Keith had a soft smile that said, “I told you you were gonna stay.”

Lance smiled back and hardly swallowed back his happy tears. Everything would be fine, there was no need to cry.

“Wow. Did I just see that or am I hallucinating due to lack of sleep?” Pidge asked then.

Lance and Keith looked back at her who was fixing them with wide eyes. Hunk, Allura and Coran were also looking at them this way.

“You were totally looking at each other with lovey-dovey eyes. Are you guys finally a thing?” Hunk asked with an excited smile.

Lance blushed profusely at his best friend’s question.

“Yeah?” Keith answered beside him.

“That’s such great news! Congrats on your new relationship,” Allura said cheerfully.

“Yes, you boys make a really great team together. Congrats!” Coran agreed.

“Thanks everyone,” Lance said, embarrassed.

“Yeah, I’m happy for you too, guys. Though I would’ve liked to tease Keith a bit longer. He was a pining mess, it was funny,” Pidge said.

“Pidge,” Keith said with a warning tone.

“Oh, yeah? He was?” Lance pushed her to continue, still enjoying annoying Keith.

“Totally. Like the time you two were…” Pidge started but was cut off as Keith stood up and started running after her, armed with a handful of goo.

They ran around the dining room for a few dobashes, laughing and screaming at each other. Everyone was having a good time. Lance looked at his space family with a deep fondness. Yeah, things weren’t perfect, but they were good, and he couldn’t be more thankful to still be able to enjoy moments like these.

 

—

 

After dinner, Hunk, Pidge and Allura went back to the green Lion’s hangar to work on Lance’s new eye and Coran went back to his mechanical chores. Lance and Keith had been training a lot lately, so when Lance offered to relax a bit and watch a movie instead of training again, Keith could only agree. He needed rest too. So, they ended up in the living room, cuddled up on the couch surrounded by blankets and pillows watching some space drama.

Keith was surprised at the heat Lance’s body gave off. Unlike him, the Cuban boy was a real heater, which was nice in the cold of space. Yeah, the Castle was at a normal temperature, but it was still relatively cold. So, Keith enjoyed his boyfriend’s warmth.

His mind couldn’t stay on the movie though. It really wasn’t his style honestly, Lance had chosen it. Keith preferred action-packed movies, but this was just some romantic comedy. Every time he tried to focus, his thoughts wandered elsewhere, often to Lance and the closeness they shared. Keith wasn’t used to physical contact and affection.

But he liked it. He liked the comfortable feeling of Lance’s arm around his shoulders, and the fact he was so close to Lance he could really see the beautiful blue of his eyes. It also reminded him of how much he was happy that Lance was safe with him.

“I love you,” he murmured then.

Lance looked at Keith immediately. They were so close, Keith could feel the other boy’s breath on his face.

“I love you too,” Lance murmured back, his eyes trailing off to look at Keith’s lips.

Keith closed his eyes and his breath hitched as his heart sped up. They leaned in and met halfway in a soft kiss. Lance lips moved slowly against his, as if savouring the taste of Keith’s lips. The half-Galra had never felt like this before. This kiss was something else, it made his chest squeeze and his body want more of the other. It wasn’t only about their physical attraction, it came from deeper. They were both pouring their whole emotions and love into this. Keith would’ve liked the kiss to last eternally.

But at some point, they stopped and laughed quietly as they separated.

They continued to watch the movie after that.

Keith didn’t stay awake until the end.

He fell asleep in Lance’s arms.

Listening to his heartbeats.

Like it was a lullaby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Please leave kudos and comments! 
> 
> You are also really welcome to come talk to me or send me asks on Tumblr: Prettygoo-d ! :)


	24. Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> Haggar makes her move. 
> 
> Sorry for the little wait, I haven't been feeling well lately, but I try to get things done anyway. So here we are, back to the angst!! 
> 
> I hope you'll like this chapter! 
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments!
> 
> Thanks!!

The couple was woken up by the blaring alarms of the Castle.

“Everyone to your Lions! We’re under attack!” Allura yelled.

They both stood up right away, but before they could exit the room, Keith grabbed Lance’s wrist.

“You’re staying here,” he told him.

“What? No, you can’t bench m…” Lance started, visibly offended by Keith’s order.

“Yes, I can. You still haven’t flown Red since Shiro attacked you. I don’t want to risk you getting injured,” Keith explained. “If we really need you to form Voltron, then you can try and fly Red, but otherwise you stay in the Castle.”

Lance really wasn’t happy with that, Keith could tell, but he understood and finally agreed. They both got changed quickly and Keith flew out in Black, joined by Hunk and Pidge soon after.

“What is that?” Hunk asked, voice shaky. “It’s Galra, obviously, but like… It’s way too big! It’s as big as the former Galra base!”

“It’s Haggar, I can feel her,” Allura informed them.

“How did she find us? I would’ve noticed if we were tracked,” Pidge said.

“Could it be Shiro?” Lance asked out of nowhere. “I’m on my way to the bridge, by the way.”

“Shiro? Why?” Pidge asked.

“He told me once that he wasn’t feeling like himself, and he talked weirdly the other night… I mean, he spent a lot of time detained by the Galra. They could’ve done many things to him, like putting a tracker in his prosthetic or something,” Lance explained.

“Yeah, that would make sense. Let’s take care of that later! Everyone in formation!” Keith called over the coms.

The huge ship in front of them started moving, cannons shot at them and drones were sent out to chase the Lions around as they tried to take the Galra ship down. Coran supported them from the Castle, but it received many hits as well, making it hard to counter attack.

“Is it me or is it moving towards the Castle?” Hunk said.

“No, you’re right, it’s positioning itself! I think its gonna attack the Castle. Coran, you need to get out of the way!” Pidge told them.

“Understood!” He called.

The Castle started moving away, but the Galra ship was too fast, making the Castle unable to escape.

“I can’t get out of it’s line of fire! Paladins, we need your help!” Coran told them.

“We’re doing our best, Coran,” Allura replied.

Keith felt anxiety growing in his stomach. Lance was in the Castle. He had told him to stay there for his safety, but he had been wrong. Lance would have probably been safer with his Lion. Shit! He pushed through his worries to move around the Galra ship and destroy as many thrusters as he could, hoping that it would be enough to slow the ship’s movements.

But it was all for nothing when the hidden cannon was fired. The shot surrounded the Castle entirely in a white explosion, annihilating the particle barrier. Every Paladin yelled in anguish at the sight. The backlash of the explosion destroyed all the drones and even affected the huge Galra ship and the Lions.

The Lions weren’t responding correctly anymore, as if they were out of power.

“LANCE!” Keith yelled, voice raw and desperate.

The light of the explosion faded after a few long ticks. The Castle had lost all light, but there didn’t seem to be any physical damage to it. Keith’s heart dropped in fear at his unanswered call. They had just saved Lance… He was supposed to be safe now!

“Coran? Coran, Lance, please respond!” Allura called.

Keith was already moving, heading for the Castle, ready to tear it apart to get to Lance if he needed to.

Why did Lance have to be in danger again?

Why couldn’t he just be safe?

God dammit.

 

-

 

“Keith? Allura? Hunk? Pidge? Guys, come on, answer!” Lance tried, but his coms were clearly busted by that hit they had just taken.

He had been hit too, but it had seemed to affect only the electrical devices and the Castle’s power source, leaving him and Coran completely in the dark.

Just as he was about to get on his way, heading for the bridge again, he heard strange noises and saw an ominous purple light coming from the medical wing. He hesitated before heading to the infirmary. He was scared, his hands shaking around his Bayard and sweat appearing on his temples. At least, his Bayard still worked, being made by Altean magic and other stuff that probably made it super resistant to whatever attacks it could receive.

When he finally reached the infirmary, he realized right away that they were doomed. Haggar was there, pulling Shiro out of the cryopod. The man looked confused, but not by Haggar’s presence.

“Don’t worry, we’ll crush them, Champion,” Haggar told him.

Lance hid behind the doorway, unsure of what to do. He couldn’t fight Haggar or Shiro alone, much less the two of them, even if he had his two eyes. He wasn’t strong enough, but he couldn’t just let them go either, right?

It angered him so much, he felt completely powerless. Suddenly, his helmet powered back up. It was still lacking energy, the lights on the side of his helmet clearly dimmed and flittering, but it worked again.

“…ance! I’m co…!” He heard Keith’s voice then over the coms.

“…oming too!” Hunk said.

It wasn’t clear, but Lance was so happy to hear their voices.

“Guys!” He murmured with a relieved tone.

“Lance!” Keith answered back with an equally relieved too, the sound clearer this time.

“I’m also uninjured, Paladins,” Coran informed them over the coms.

“Coran, Lance! I’m so glad you both are fine,” Allura told him.

Lance didn’t want to interrupt their happy moment, but he had to. Paladins duty, you know.

“Guys… Haggar’s here. She’s taking Shiro, and I don’t know what to do,” Lance said then, being more and more unsure and scared of what he should or shouldn’t do.

There was silence for a moment, but then Keith replied.

“Don’t move, don’t do anything before we get there, Lance. We’re on our way!” Keith told him, sounding tensed. “I’ll be there in a few ticks!”

“Alr…” Lance was about to answer when Haggar appeared right in front of him.

“Isn’t it just the one I was looking for,” Haggar said with a sly smile.

Lance stumbled back, pointing his Bayard right at her and firing right away with a loud scream. He heard the others call his name, but he couldn’t answer. He stopped firing a few ticks later, noticing that she was gone and that he had been shooting in the void for a too long moment. His heart was beating hard in his chest and he was breathing fast. Lance looked around frantically, but saw nothing in the dark, especially with the barely functioning lights of his helmet.

He was completely terrified.

He took another step backwards, and then felt a strong hand on his shoulders. His heart sped up at the touch. He was about to try and fight the grip when he felt a hand grab his neck and then electricity course through his body. He screamed in pain until he felt all energy leave him.

He fell to the ground, his legs unable to carry him anymore, and was dragged away.

He could barely hear the others over the coms as they screamed his name.

He heard the Lions roar too, or it was Keith, or both.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured one last time.

And then he lost consciousness.

 

-

 

Keith had been a second too late, but he arrived just in time to see Lance on the ground surrounded by Haggar and Shiro and being grabbed by his Paladin armour by the latter. They were about to drag him away! He couldn’t let that happen!

“NO! Let him go!” He roared running to them.

Deep down, Keith knew it was useless. He couldn’t fight them by himself. Maybe he could’ve held his ground against Shiro alone long enough for the others to get there, but with Haggar it was an inexorably lost battle. Still, he had to try and save Lance. He couldn’t just hide and let them leave with him.

He knew Shiro was not himself, and it had been so hard to face the facts. He still had a hard time getting his mind around it, but Lance was different. Lance was still the boy he fell in love with and hoped for a long happy future with.

Keith barely avoided Shiro’s attack as he reached them. He tried to knock him out, but obviously that didn’t work well, and Shiro hit him in the ribs. Hard, so hard it felt inhuman. Keith felt them crack. Hit hurt so bad, but he couldn’t let that stop him from trying to save the boy he loved. He hardly got ready for Shiro’s next attack, but it didn’t come. Instead, electricity suddenly coursed through his whole body and he fell to the ground next to Lance. With the last bit of energy he had, Keith tried to reach out to Lance, but soon darkness took over.

The last thing he heard was Haggar’s voice.

“Well that was unexpected,” she said.

“But that makes things even better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!   
> Please leave kudos and comments! 
> 
> You can also message me or send me an ask on Tumblr: Prettygoo-d


	25. Survive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> Hunk, Pidge, Allura and Coran search for Keith and Lance. The two boys learn about what awaits them with the Galra.
> 
> This chapter is again really angsty. I can assure you that it's going to be this way probably until the end :) 
> 
> Please leave Kudos and comments!
> 
> Thanks!!
> 
> Tumblr: Prettygoo-d (send me a message or an ask!)

“This isn’t funny anymore. Well, it had never been funny, but seriously where the quiznack are they?” Hunk asked out of breath and panicked as he walked into the bridge.

Coran and Allura turned to him with sorry looks. When they had arrived to the Castle a few dobashes earlier, the Galra had left and Lance, Keith and Shiro were nowhere to be found. The team had searched high and low for them, but they weren’t there anymore. It was like they had just vanished.

“Haggar took them…” A small voice answered him then.

It was Pidge looking at the Castle cameras’ record. It seemed to hurt her to simply watch it, to see her space-brothers being taken by the Galra like her blood brother and father had been. Still, she put the main video on the bridge’s main screen, showing it to her remaining teammates. There was nothing but static  for a long moment until the image cleared a bit, just long enough for them all to see Haggar smiling at the camera, Keith and Lance unconscious at her feet. A purple cloud surrounded them after that and they were gone.

“No… No! This is really the worst. What are we gonna do without them now?” Hunk asked, even more panicked.

“Calm down, Hunk,” Allura said then as she stood up. “We won’t give up on them.”

There was a new determination in her eyes.

“We’re going to rescue them.”

 

—

 

Keith woke up to a general ache. He slowly opened his eyes and let his blurry vision adapt to his dark surroundings. He was being dragged by his cuffed hands. His ankles were cuffed as well. His mind couldn’t seem to catch up yet on what exactly was happening. He was dropped to the ground after a few seconds.

“Keith?” A small voice asked.

Lance…

“What are your orders, madam?” A feminine voice asked.

“Bring the half-Galra to my lab, I’m going to enjoy turning him into a Galra soldier. As for the other, take him to the gladiator arena. Use the special treatment and make him fight until he dies. Broadcast the battles throughout the universe, let this spectacle destroy their hope,” Haggar answered.

This was all Keith needed to fully get back to reality. His eyes opened fully as hands grabbed his arms again.

“No… No, let me go!” He started, fighting more and more against their hold.

“Keith!” He heard Lance yell in fear as he was taken away. “No! Leave him alone!”

Keith’s eyes lifted to look at Lance who was dragged in the opposite way. He was clearly terrified, but it was not even for his own fate, it was for Keith’s.

“Lance! Shit!” Keith was totally helpless.

He looked frantically around, searching for a possible way to escape. He needed to save him, he couldn't lose Lance. He had lost so much already. Too much... His eyes fell on an immobile Shiro then.

“Shiro! You can’t let this happen! I know you’re in there! Please!” Keith tried, but then Haggar was in front of him.

“It is no use, Red one. You have lost your leader, and soon you’ll lose everything else you ever cared for,” she said.

Keith’s eyes turned back to Lance who was still vainly struggling against the soldiers, one of them being the big woman who served Lotor before.

Fear squeezed at his chest. What if it was the last time he saw Lance? What about all the fantasies he had imagined about the both of them growing old together? What about their love? They hadn’t even done a little bit of what he had wanted to do with Lance. They hadn’t even…

“Keith, don’t let them win! Stay strong! I know you can do it! I lov…” Lance screamed before he was silenced by the door closing between them.

Keith couldn’t even scream back that he loved him too.

These words… They were important, he knew it.

Almost as important as the silenced ones.

He repeated them in his head.

Like a mantra.

 

—

 

“…e you!” Lance finished even if he knew Keith couldn’t hear him.

“How cute. Too bad you’re never gonna see him again,” Zethrid laughed.

Even as he was dragged to the gladiator arena, Lance never stopped struggling, his fear of losing Keith keeping him determined. They brought him to a strange room, he was forcefully stripped of his Paladin armour and clothed in prisoner garment. He was scared, being completely at their mercy and knowing what awaited him.

He wouldn’t fight another prisoner.

He couldn’t.

Even if everything in his being screamed that he had to survive, he wouldn’t hurt another innocent being. And that meant he would probably die. He hoped the others at least came for Keith in time to save him. He hoped they would tell his family that he loved them and he was sorry he couldn’t make it back to Earth.

He thought of Keith and how he loved him. He would have liked to introduce him to his family. To fall even more in love with him as time passed. To stay by his side until they were old and full of wrinkles….

Still, he would prefer give up on all that than hurt another prisoner. He would never forgive himself if he did. Keith would be angry, he knew it, but he would probably understand his decision. Maybe?

Suddenly, he was brought back to reality as he was pinned down to the ground.

He was held strongly in place when a needle pierced the skin on his neck.

A liquid was pushed in his veins and he screamed at the sudden pain.

It felt like his blood was on fire, it burned, it hurt so bad!

A cloud of darkness slowly took over his vision.

Then, he was overwhelmed by pure power.

And a deep desire to survive.


	26. Video

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers!!
> 
> This chapter is about, Lance and Keith's experience with the Galra and the Coalition's reaction to seeing the Blue Paladin fighting in the Arena. 
> 
> Another pretty angsty chapter. And, yeah, I said that Keith and Lance were going to stay together until the end and they still are... but only in thoughts :) 
> 
> I hope you'll like this chapter! 
> 
> Please leave Kudos and comments! 
> 
> Thanks!!

****

_“Keith, don’t let them win! Stay strong! I know you can do it! I lov…”_

Keith was strapped to a table that was lifted to a semi-vertical position. They had put him there a few vargas ago. He had trashed for a long time, but his struggles had died down a bit since then. There was no giving in.

_“Keith, don’t let them win! Stay strong! I know you can do it! I lov…”_

His heartbeat would speed up every time his mind wandered to Lance. Did they have to bring him to another ship or was the Arena in the same huge ship? If it was here, was Lance already fighting? And if he was already fighting, was he injured? Was he… Was he already…

He had to calm down. These thoughts only made him panic. He had to trust his friends. They would come for them. They had saved them before, and they would again.

Then, Haggar walked in. He snarled at her, tugging against his restraints again, ready to attack her at any chance he got.

“Hi there, Red Paladin. Sorry for the wait. I wanted to enjoy a bit of the battles in the Arena, especially since we have a new candidate for the title of Champion,” Haggar said.

“Let him go!” He yelled in rage.

“Oh, don’t worry, he is still alive. We will keep him alive as long as you behave,” Haggar added.

“What do you mean?” Keith asked, already expecting her answer.

“Imagine, the Red Paladin and leader of Voltron joining the Galra and terrorizing people across the universe. It would crush your team’s and the Coalition’s spirit to dust,” she explained.

_“Keith, don’t let them win! Stay strong! I know you can do it! I lov…”_

“Go to hell,” he spat at her.

“I see. Well, I hope you like Gladiator fights as much as I do,” she said with a sly smile as soldiers brought a screen in front of him and played the recording of the fights that had just been filmed in the Arena.

_“Keith, don’t let them win! Stay strong! I know you can do it! I lov…”_

Keith’s eyes widened in horror at the video.

It couldn’t be Lance.

No, it couldn’t…

No!

 

—

 

Lance’s vision was blurry and his head throbbed painfully. He was slumped against a wall, one of his wrists cuffed to it, lightly above his head.

It felt like there was a thick fog in his head. He couldn’t remember anything after they injected this weird stuff in him. Had he lost consciousness? What had they done to him while he was out?

His vision cleared a bit then. The fog disappearing way too slowly for his liking.

“What the…” He croaked, confused at the sight before him.

Why was there so much red on him and on the ground below him? His breathing sped up as panic started to build up in his chest. Was he hurt and he could not feel it yet? Did he still have all his limbs? He looked at himself frantically, searching for any severe injury, but he found none, only scrapes, bruises and cuts, nothing that could explain the worrying amount of blood on him.

“It’s not your blood,” a voice said then.

Lance looked up to see an alien, looking much like Nyma but visibly more masculine. He was also covered in blood and cuffed to the wall.

“Whose is it?” Lance asked, gulping.

Boy-Nyma didn’t answer, but his sorry expression was enough for Lance to understand.

“You’re a special fighter, they knew you’d die before you hurt another prisoner, so they drugged you with some weird shit. It’s not a beautiful sight to see when they inject you with this stuff. You become feral… You lose yourself completely and kill anything in sight,” Boy-Nyma explained.

“No… Nonononono. I- I…” Lance started panicking again.

“Hey, calm down, it’s too late now to go back anyway,” Boy-Nyma tried.

“But… I’m supposed to be a defender of the universe. I’m a Paladin of Voltron, I can’t kill innocent people!” Lance said, even if he knew it still wouldn’t change a thing.

“You’re a Paladin of Voltron?” Boy-Nyma asked, surprised. “Well, I guess it explains the awesome moves you showed out there. And don’t worry, you didn’t fight anyone who was really innocent. They had all killed before too.”

Lance cursed as tears pricked his eyes. He wanted to go home… It took a long time for him to finally calm down. He needed to stay strong. As long as his family on Earth and in space was safe and Keith kept fighting, there was still hope, right?

“By the way, my name’s Zyu,” the alien said.

“Lance. Are you a ‘special fighter’ too?” Lance asked.

“Yeah, one of the last of my people,” Zyu answered.

“I know a girl, her name’s Nyma. Pretty sure she has the same origins as you,” Lance said then.

“Really? If I get out of here, I’d love to meet her,” Zyu said with a sad smile.

It was normal for Lance to be more hopeful, he had just arrived here, he didn’t even remember any of the horrifying things he had probably done. But for Zyu…

“How long have you been here?” Lance asked.

“Way too long,” Zyu replied.

Then, a soldier opened the door of their cell. Zethrid walked in and went right to Lance.

“Ready for another round?” She asked with a cruel smile.

Fear gripped at Lance’s guts. He started vainly tugging at the cuff desperately. She finally reached him and cupped his face to hold him in place against the wall and have clear access to the Earthling’s neck. Again, he felt his blood be lit on fire as soon as the strange fluid flowed in his veins. He screamed in agony and his vision darkened again.

If Zyu was right, he was going to kill innocent people again.

He thought of his friends and family.

Would they ever forgive him?

His fears lingered on Keith.

Would he still love him?

 

—

 

“This… This is a sick joke, right?” Hunk asked as he came back to the centre of the bridge with the others after emptying his stomach’s content in a bin near there.

“No, Hunk the video was a live feed. No interference or modification to the actual stream. It was Lance,” Pidge answered, tone sad.

“I’m gonna be sick again…” Hunk replied, but was able to contain himself this time.

“We can’t change what happened, but we can still save them. Pidge, were you able to track the signal’s origin?” Allura asked the Green Paladin.

“Yeah, I’ll give you the exact coordinates in just a tick,” Pidge answered, typing even faster on her keyboard.

“Alright, then we’re all ready to get the two young boys back!” Coran announced as Coalitions members appeared on the main screens, showing as much determination as the rest of the team.

Their space family and their friends were on their way to save them.

Lance and Keith would soon be safe again.

And nothing would stop them.


	27. Kill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers!
> 
> Things get out of hands for Haggar, but it's the Paladins who suffer from it... 
> 
> This chapter hurts :) Don't forget to read the end notes! 
> 
> TW: Mention of Blood and Injury
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments! 
> 
> Thanks!!

Keith felt wetness on his cheeks as he watched in shock the video Haggar showed him repeatedly.

Seeing Lance so ferocious as he savagely took others’ lives hurt him. It hurt him because he knew how painful it would be for Lance to realize he had killed so many prisoners in such a horrifying way. Lance would never forgive himself, it would haunt him. Would he ever be able to recover from this once they were saved?  

“You could stop this,” Haggar murmured in his ear. “Join us and we’ll put an end to his torment.”

She was trying to manipulate him, he knew. That was why she was torturing him with this awful video. Still…

“No… I’ll never agree,” Keith answered.

“You think so? Either you agree or I’ll crush your spirit and forcefully make you one of us,” Haggar threatened him.

Keith felt Haggar’s annoyance in his bones. He didn’t have much time left before she chose to use force. Keith was strong, but what could he really do against dark magic?

“Let’s enjoy a new stream, then,” Haggar said as the screen was put back in front of him.

He wanted to look away, but Haggar had put restraints on his head as well, forcing him to face the screen.

The last Gladiators were taken away from the battle ground, both unconscious and wounded.

Keith’s heart squeezed in fear at the sight of Lance being thrown on the battle ground.

His features were already ferocious and he looked like an uncontrollable monster.

His wild distressed eyes were frantically searching for his opponent.

Keith remembered Lance’s soft look and bright smile.

He wanted to see him this way again.

Tears pricked his eyes again.

Their team had to hurry.

 

—

 

His body was moving, movements quick and reckless. His heart was beating at an unreal speed. His mind had only one thought: Survive. It was coming from some deeper part of him. Some powerful instinctive place that was now the only master of his body. The sensation was so intense, he was overwhelmed by it. It was as if someone was holding a loaded gun on his temple and was pushing the trigger, but as long as he fought the bullet would never pierce his skin. It was terrifying. So, he fought desperately. He didn’t want to die. He had to survive, no matter what. And for that, he had to kill…

Fearful eyes looked up at him. How many victims had he deprived of existence already?

_Kill._

There was so much blood surrounding him _._

_Kill!_

Lance was about to strike the final blow.

Kill?

“Please don’t,” his opponent pleaded with a shaky voice.

No… No, he wasn’t a killer…

For some reason, Lance’s mind cleared up for a second. He stumbled back. Tears fell down his opponent’s eyes and an apologizing expression appeared on the alien’s features.

“Sorry,” the alien said.

Lance couldn’t even react as a huge fist collided with his jaw. He heard a loud crack and cried out in pain as he fell to the ground. His limbs were unresponsive as his mind screamed at him…

_Survive, survive, survive! SURVIVE!_

Lance looked up at the alien who hesitantly made his way to him. He looked as scared and miserable as him. They were both victims.

_Kill!_

_No, I won’t!_ His vision swirled as whatever drug was in his system fought against his conscious mind to take over again. He had to stay conscious. His head hurt, his whole body too, but he couldn’t let go, let the poison in his veins control him…

_But if you do, you will survive…_

_No!_ He screamed again internally. He lifted pleading eyes to his opponent. He knew what had to be done. He knew what would relieve him of the pain and torment. It might be his only chance at this. Still, this decision hurt a lot.

Keith would really never forgive him.

“P-please… Kill me,” Lance requested as small tears fell down his cheeks.

The alien stopped in their track, looking confused and scared. Lance’s mind wavered. Damn it…

“Hurry,” Lance croaked, hardly holding on to his true self.

A determined look appeared on the alien’s face and he lifted his weapon.

Lance closed his eyes and waited for the final blow.

He thought of his family and Keith again.

Mentally apologizing to them.

And then the strike hit him.

 

—

 

“No!” Keith screamed in agony.

He felt like his heart had been mercilessly ripped off his chest. It was terribly painful. It hurt even more than the first time he had watched him die. It was horrible. He hated the feeling of pure pain and emptiness it caused him. Why did the people he loved had to suffer this way? He had lost his father, his brother and now his lover…

He had barely had time to enjoy being close to Lance. Telling him that he loved him, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. Why did it have to end so soon? He dreamt of making love to him like no other person had ever before, of making him so happy he would smile all the time, of becoming old and grumpy together…

“Lance…” He sobbed as the image of his lover’s inexpressive bloodstained face came up on the screen after this clearly fatal strike.

“How did this happen?!” Haggar screamed in anger at a monitor. “Retrieve him immediately!”

Haggar stormed out of the room and Keith was left to mourn by himself.

Lance’s opponent’s weapon had penetrated him in the chest. Lance hadn’t even tried to protect himself, while he clearly could’ve done so… He had abandoned. He had let himself die.

Keith had difficulty breathing. His chest was constricting painfully.

What would be taken away from him next?

Would it be his mother? Or his friends?

Keith let out a loud sorrowful wail.

He couldn’t take this anymore.

It hurt too much.

 

—

 

“No, Lance!” Pidge screamed in horror at the stream before them, voice breaking in despair.

“No no no no no… No, Lance can’t be… Come on, buddy, stop messing around, get up and fight!” Hunk yelled, tears streaming down his cheeks.

There was silence on the bridge for a long terrible moment as they watched Lance’s bloody and unresponsive body being dragged away from the Arena. They looked intently at the camera, searching for a sign that he was still alive. His growingly grey skin and his unmoving torso only confirmed the worst.

They were too late to save Lance, they had failed him.

“Princess?” Coran asked, voice heavy.

“We are… We are going forward with the plan anyway. Keith still needs our help… and there are innocent prisoners we must save as well,” Allura decided, unable to meet anyone’s eyes. “I’ll get ready.”

She walked out of the bridge, and as soon as she was in her room and out of sight she crumpled down behind her door, letting tears fall freely. She had lost another important person in her life. Lance was their balance. He was involuntarily keeping them from being too caught up in the war. Losing him was hard. It felt like she had lost a family member… a brother.

After too small a moment, she finally composed herself and changed into her Paladin gear.

She guessed  her father had had to go through a similar situation in the past.

Losing his teammates and friends in a war against the Galra.

Anyway, the preparations were almost completed.

They still had a mission to accomplish.

And another brother to save.

She would remain strong.

For her space-family...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess it had to happen at some point... But don't be fooled, there is still a lot coming up for our team! I mean, we still haven't dealt with the situation surrounding Shiro and, remember, it's said in a previous chapter that Lance and Keith will be together until the end! :)


	28. Paladins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers!
> 
> Will Keith give in to Haggar's demands? Will the Coalition get to him in time? 
> 
> I hope you'll like this chapter :) 
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments!
> 
> Thanks!!

When he heard Keith’s awful wailing resound into the halls of the ship, something inside Shiro wavered.

An instinctive part of him wanted to go to him, to make things better. It was as if hearing the other boy’s broken cries caused him physical pain. He had memories with him, but the need to comfort ran deeper. He couldn’t really understand it.

He was not their Shiro. He was supposed to have no emotions.

At least that’s what Haggar expected from her clone.

He couldn’t do anything against her orders.

He was just a puppet for her to use.  

Her personal soldier.

Right?

 

—

 

It took a long time for Keith to calm down. He fell asleep at some point, only to wake up screaming due to a nightmare.

A nightmare…

Life was a nightmare.

He was so tired. He had tried so hard to fight for good, to protect the universe… And what had the universe done for him? It had let his parents leave him alone, his brother to be controlled by Haggar and his lover to be killed in the Galra Arena.

Tears fell down his eyes again.

He wanted it all to stop.

The door to the room he was in was opened and someone walked in. He recognized the unnerving softness of her steps. Keith couldn’t look at the witch who was walking towards him. He didn’t have any energy to give her.

“Why don’t you join us now? Why don’t you stop fighting?” Haggar asked him.

“I-I can’t… I won’t give in to you,” he growled weakly.

“This is my last offer then. If you join us willfully, we’ll make sure to keep your friends alive once we capture them. No harm will come to them, but they will remain captive,” she said.

This proposition made him ponder on what he risked losing more in the future. He wanted his friends to keep living, no matter the outcome of this war. He knew they would never forgive him for joining the Galra, but he needed to save the people he cared most about. He wouldn’t be able to survive losing someone else.

Yet, that wasn’t the true reason why he hesitated. He knew his friends would never stop fighting the Galra. They were strong and intelligent. They would find other Paladins and try with all their might to beat the Galra Empire. They also had Lotor on their side too now.

That meant, they were probably already on their way and he had to continue fighting too. The problem was that if he ended up brainwashed by Haggar like Shiro because he refused to give in to Haggar’s demand, he wouldn’t be able to continue fighting against the Galra or searching for a way out.

So, he made his decision.

“How can I trust you?” He asked Haggar.

She smirked.

“An oath. We, the druids, are able to make oaths sealed by magic contracts. If you disrespect one of my terms or I disrespect one of yours, the traitor is killed instantly,” she explained.

He didn’t like this, but he couldn’t care about his life anymore. If he could save his friends by giving up his life, then be it.

“Alright… I’ll join you,” he agreed.

His heart was beating hard in his chest, knowing how risky this situation was.

Haggar laughed, visibly content with his decision, and left after that.

He didn’t know what awaited him, but it would probably be bad.

He always appeared fearless, determined and strong.

But, in this moment, he felt truly uneasy.

Had he made a mistake?

 

—

 

“Allura, you need to stop this nonsense. Even with this small army and this well-thought plan of yours, you will be exterminated by Haggar,” Lotor tried once again, losing his patience.

“We’re not aborting this mission, Lotor,” Allura stated, unwavering in her determination.

This woman had such a bad temper sometimes. How could she not consider the overwhelming powers the witch possessed? The Komar was only one of the many weapons she possessed. They were all blinded by their emotions and their strong desire to get their friend back.

“She is way more powerful than you are. Even with your new alchemy knowledge, you will probably lose more than only two Paladins if you follow through with this plan,” Lotor explained, trying to make her understand how foolish it all was.

“Paladins… They are more than that to us!” Pidge replied angrily.

The little one again. There really wasn’t any way to gain her respect or her trust. She was stubborn and way too emotional even if she looked to be the most logical of them all.

“They might be more than that to you, but what really matters is that we still have all Lions. If you truly want to ensure your success, it is imperial to at least be able to form Voltron,” Lotor continued.

“Sorry, I don’t want to include on your fight or anything, but, Lotor, you really don’t know how the Lions work. They have their own personalities, so we can’t just find replacements for our friends,” Hunk said.

Him too. This was deeply frustrating. Lotor had joined them thinking they were reasonable and knew when to recognize a lost battle.

“We need to act as soon as possible. We can’t risk them hurting Keith too,” Matt added.

“I agree with the Paladins. To get the Red Paladin back would give the Coalition reason to believe in this war again. The death of the Blue Paladin really discouraged our people. We need to show everyone that we can still win against the Galra,” one of their allies said.

“It is settled then, everyone, get ready, we’re heading to their base as soon as the preparations are completed,” Allura announced.

Everyone agreed except the half-Galra prince.

Lotor knew what it meant for him as well.

He would have to fight with his allies.

Even if he hated the idea.

 

—

 

There was a buzzing sound around him.

His body felt wrong, heavy.

What had happened?

Where was he?

Was he dead?

Keith…


	29. Allegiance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> Keith seals the deal, Haggar has a message for her enemies and the Coalition is on stanby... 
> 
> I hope you'll like this chapter. I wanted to make it bigger, but I also wanted to make things suspenseful a little more.
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments!
> 
> Thanks!!

“State your terms, Red One,” Haggar demanded.

Keith really didn’t like this nickname she had given him. It felt like she was trying to take away who he truly was. Well, she probably was.

They were in a dark room, lighted by a purple alchemy circle on the ground. Many druids and Galra Generals were surrounding them, either to help with the ceremony, to keep an eye on Keith or to enjoy his surrender.

“You won’t kill, torture or torment any of my Friends. They will be ensured safety even if they are captured,” Keith told her.

“And you will follow my orders. You will never betray us,” Haggar said.

Keith hesitated, but there was no going back on his words now.

“Vrepit Sa,” he said, as she had told him to say to seal the oath.

“Vrepit Sa,” she repeated.

Then, the alchemy circle under them started glowing brightly.

Purple tentacle-like things rose up and took a hold of Keith’s limbs, and Haggar’s too he noticed. Their hold burned and he cried out in pain at the awful sensation. Haggar fell to her knees, screaming too, and he found himself falling to the ground as well before he lost consciousness.

Just before darkness completely swallowed him, he heard Haggar’s scream turn into an evil laugh.

Shit…

What had he done?

 

—

 

Haggar stood up on shaky legs. Now that this was completed, she could focus on the other parts of her plan. She knew the other Paladins and the Coalition would attack soon. Now that she had control over the Red One, she only had one more step before she could completely crush their enemies’ spirit.

“Advise me when he wakes up. We will send a message to our enemies and to the ones who would dare go against us.”

She was so close to finally have all the tools she needed to win this war.

Honestly, how could they even wish to beat the Galra?

They had ruled for 10,000 years.

Nothing could defeat them.

Nothing!

 

—

 

Buzzing.

Agony.

Pain.

Keith…

Wires.

Darkness.

Suffering.

Haggar.

Surrender.

Surrender?

No.

Keith!

Shiro?

Torture.

Memories.

Galra.

Fighter.

Allegiance.

Voltron?

Begging.

Torment.

Exhaustion.

Keith…

Who?

 

—

 

It took them way too long to gather everyone and be ready, but now everything was in place. They only needed to wait for the right time. One of the Blades that had infiltrated the Galra Empire years ago would give them the signal. It would be when Haggar was busy enough and the Galra were changing guards. Still, it was too slow for Team Voltron’s liking.

“Why is it taking so long?” She growled in annoyance.

She didn’t have much patience left, especially after the last nights of insomnia and… and Lance’s loss. If they lost Keith as well, she didn’t know what she would do.

She would probably lose it completely.

“They are more cautious than they used to be since that big battle against their main base a while ago,” Kolivan explained. “Be more patient.”

Pidge let out an annoyed sigh, but her attention was drawn back to her screen by a beeping sound.

“It’s another intergalactic Galra transmission,” she announced before putting it on display.

The sight made them freeze. It was Keith… He was wearing a Galra uniform and was standing right beside Haggar. He looked angry, but unarmed. Pidge was partly relieved to see him alive, but was anxious as to why he was just standing there, so close to the Galra witch.

“Hello, People of the Coalition and under Galra domination. May I present to you all our new Galra General, the former Red Paladin and Pilot of the Black Lion, Keith… or as we now call him, the Red General,” she said with a sly smile.

Keith’s scowl deepened. Haggar must have been trying to feed them false information to destroy all their hope and fighting spirit, but Pidge would never believe her words. She was a liar. Keith would never join them, there was no way, especially after what they had done to Lance! Unless, he didn’t know about Lance.

Just when her mind started running wild with reasons why Keith was one the most faithful people to Voltron and their cause, her attention was drawn back to the screen. Keith brought a hand to his heart and lifted his eyes to the camera with a strong determination.

“Vrepit Sa.”

Pidge's heart skipped a beat. No… No, she could see the mourning in his eyes, even with his still eloquent facial expressions.

He knew that Lance was... So, why?

What was happening? Why was he betraying them? What made him join the Galra?

Manipulation, there was no doubt, but what kind. And how could they fight it? Things would be bad if they went for a rescue, but they couldn’t get him out of Haggar’s claws.

“See, even your precious saviours are not as loyal to your cause as you foolishly believe. We will win this war, and when we do, you will all suffer for your resistance,” she threatened them. “Vrepit Sa.”

The video ended and there was silence on the bridge for a long moment.

“This is really bad, guys. What do we do now?” Hunk asked, visibly anxious.

“We need him back, no matter what,” Allura said. “We should continue with our plan.”

“Yeah, but we didn’t consider that they would be expecting us, at least not to this level. They are ready for us…” Pidge started.

“You imbeciles, I told you your plan was too risky, but you wouldn’t listen to me. Haggar is sly, she has been planning ahead of us this whole time. Still… I must admit, unless we fall back right away and find other Paladins for the Lions, which I already know you refuse to do, we have to attack now. She might be expecting us, but she probably wouldn’t predict that we would attack so soon after her tentative to discourage us,” Lotor explained.

Everyone nodded in understanding.

“For once, I think we all agree with you, Prince Lotor,” Coran told him.

Haggar’s message had shaken them, but that wouldn’t stop them.

Yes, they were here to save Keith, but they were also here to free prisoners and show the Empire that they would never stop fighting.

They just had to wait a bit more for the awaited signal.

Just a bit more…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :D  
> Please leave kudos and comments!  
> You can also follow me/send me an ask or a message on Tumblr: Prettygoo-d
> 
>  
> 
> HINT FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER: we'll see Zyu again!


	30. Sensitive Subject

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers!
> 
> Zyu hopes again, Haggar is in a weakened state and Keith makes a new "friend". 
> 
> I loved writing this chapter :) It's really long, but I hope you'll enjoy it. It's super angsty too! Oh and you'll meet another OC for this story. I love him and I hope you'll love him too! 
> 
> Also, I made some art for a future chapter! If you don't mind spoilers, message me on Tumblr (Prettygoo-d) and I'll gladly send it to you! Otherwise, I'll be posting when the right chapter comes out ^.^
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments! 
> 
> Thanks!!

His vision was finally starting to clear up a bit. His head hurt like crazy, but Zyu knew it would fade in a few minutes. He hated the drug they gave them. Not only did it make him kill, it also made him feel like he had a really bad hangover. It was awful and there was no getting used to it.

Memories of a few days ago also came back progressively. He had seen it. Lance’s death… Damn, that kid was really strong. He wished he could’ve had the same mental strength. He would’ve probably done the same.

Let another kill him.

Still, the young Paladin’s death made him sadder than he thought it would. His small presence had somehow woken up something inside him. Was it hope?

Knowing that Voltron was out there and that he might be able to meet someone of the same origins as him someday, it changed his perspective. For years, he had only seen the dark side of the war, the prisoners, the domination, the slavery and the death. Lance had brought him a flicker of light through all that. And Zyu was holding onto it like a lifeline.

He wished he could’ve spent more time with the young boy.

He never expected his wish to be answered though.

When they dragged a limp form into the cells, Zyu was surprised. Already a new special prisoner?

But then, he saw it. The brown locks and tanned skin.

No…

No, he was supposed to be free! What had they done to him?!

Zyu waited for the soldiers to be done cuffing him to the wall and to have left before he called out to the boy in front of him.

“Lance? Lance can you hear me?” He tried anxiously.

A blue light appeared on the left side of his face, where he had lost an eye in a previous unknown battle. Zyu noticed then all the machinery that covered the boy’s body. His torso, his shoulders, his jaw and the entirety of the left side of his face had Galra tech replacing his flesh. A bright diamond-shaped Balmera crystal resided in the centre of his chest, probably powering up all the machinery that was now part of his body and keeping him alive. They had saved him by transforming him into a cyborg.

Saved him…

No, they had doomed him.

“Lance?” The Paladin croaked and winced as if his own name hurt him.

“T-that’s your name, you’re a Paladin of Voltron, a Defender of the universe,” Zyu tried.

What had Haggar done to him? Had she really messed with his head that much in only a few days? What agony had she put him through?

“Oh…” Lance answered. “Zyu?”

“Yes! Yes, that’s me, Lance!” Zyu answered cheerfully.

It was only a futile victory though…

“Zyu, I’m… I’m not myself anymore. I don’t remember much of who I am. It’s just… like I have a feeling you’re telling the truth. Something inside… me tells me that I belong somewhere else, that people will be coming to save me soon,” Lance struggled to explain, as if he was in deep pain, which was probably the case. “I know I care about them… but I can’t remember them,” he added, visibly irritated now.

“It’s ok, Lance, you’re right. I’m sure your team cares about you a lot too! And that they are on their way to save you!” Zyu replied with passion, as if his words could heal whatever twisted things Haggar had done to him, as if he could save his own hopes by trying to save Lance from Haggar’s claws on his mind before they dug too far.

“Zyu, when they come, I want you to do something for me, ok?”

“Anything,” Zyu answered with determination.

“Please, no matter what… Leave me behind. Force them away from me. I don’t want them to get hurt because of me,” Lance requested.

A small defeated sob escaped Lance’s lips and a tear fell down his right cheek, but he took a deep breath to calm down, not letting his emotions get out of control. Or was he too exhausted to do so?

It was hard to accept his demand, but Lance didn’t let Zyu try to change his mind, as he was clearly about to do so.

“I feel like I’m partially in control of myself, but I know that Haggar is messing with my head. She’s replacing things in my mind. Where I come from, my interests, my objectives… even the meaning of my life. I can tell they are lies… But they feel more and more like truths as dobashes pass.” Lance explained and took a deep hitching breath before continuing, eyes to the ground. “Soon, I’ll be like Shiro. I’ll be her puppet.”

The light Zyu was holding onto so hard was fading away right before him, and he felt completely helpless to stop it.

“But, even if I become some evil version of myself, don’t give up hope, Zyu. My… friends? I’m sure they’ll save you,” Lance said with a flicker of light in his eye.

Zyu looked at him with awe. Even through the pain and the mental torture he had endured, Lance still fought and tried to remain his true self until the end. This boy was really something else. He was probably scared and hurting, Zyu could see him tremble and sweat even in the darkness of their cell, still he admitted all that to Zyu and tried to revive his hope, even if at this point the Blue Paladin was probably not even sure why he was doing so. It was more than play pretend or being true to his Paladin persona, it was his real courage and tenacity.

At this, Zyu made his mind, he wouldn’t let him hurt his friends.

But he wouldn’t give up on him either.

The universe needed Lance.

It needed his light.

 

—

 

“Is Haggar alright?” Ezor asked, more curious than concerned. “After that thing with the Blue Paladin, she collapsed and she looked in really bad shape.”

“Maybe we should take her down while she’s weak,” Zethrid offered with an evil grin.

“No, we’re under her care now, and that’s already more than what we could have wished for. Without her, we would probably have been executed already,” Acxa said, always the reasonable one.

“Still, didn’t she go against her oath with the _Red General_?” Ezor murmured, cringing at the title.

Everyone became thoughtful, knowing that she was supposed to die if she went against it. She had still done it without hesitation. Why? Was it because she was immortal anyway?

“Anyway, we should probably get prepared for battle. She said the other Paladins are certainly on their way. I can’t wait to crush them!” Zethrid announced.

Zethrid and Ezor left, but Acxa lingered behind, looking thoughtfully at the former Black Paladin. He was unmoving and emotionless, as always, keeping watch over the door leading to Haggar’s room. He really didn’t do anything but follow the witch’s orders.

What had happened to him to become Haggar’s puppet?

Had he endured the same torture as the Blue One?

Or was there something more to it?

So many questions unanswered…

 

—

 

“Hey! Newbie! Wanna spar?” A Galra General asked Keith as he was passing by the training room.

He had been going around this place for hours now. He could now find his way better in this giant ship, but he was looked at suspiciously when he passed by important parts of it, like the command centre, the hangar or the engine rooms. He didn’t have access to most places, even if he was supposed to be a General. He guessed it was logical. They had reasons to distrust him and he wasn’t about to defend his case.

It was way too obvious that he was trying to find weaknesses in this ship. Still, would he be able to use it without dying. Probably not, so he had to find either a way to transmit the information he collected to allies without it being considered treachery or find their ultimate weakness and sacrifice his life to deliver it to his friends.

He really had no time to lose with sparing or socializing with the Galras on this ship.

So, he ignored him.

“Aw, come on don’t be like that!” The Galra continued, suddenly putting an arm over Keith’s shoulders.

“Leave me alone,” Keith growled in a low threatening voice that didn’t seem to faze the other Galra at all.

“Just one fight. We just wanna see how strong you really are,” the Galra General explained excitedly, but Keith really couldn’t care less… Until the Galra General murmured, “If you win, I’ll tell you a little secret about this ship.”

At this, Keith finally glanced at the man beside him. Now, that could be interesting for him.

“Your secret better be good,” Keith replied, finally following the insistent Galra.

“Of course, it is! By the way, my name’s Zotrok.”

This Galra looked too friendly for Keith’s liking. He probably had something in mind, Keith didn’t trust him one bit. He was given a blade and they both walked to the centre of the room. Many Galras lined the walls, curious to see how the new General could handle himself against one of them. They knew he was a Paladin, so they weren’t underestimating him, but they still wanted to see how strong he really was.

At least, Keith had had training with the Blades, so that was a big plus.

The match started and Zotrok immediately attacked. His movements were fast and powerful. They looked like Kolivan’s. It was difficult to evade, but Keith was faster. He had learned to use his small side and speed to his advantage against his opponents with the Blades. These guys were all giants.

Honestly, it annoyed him to be so small sometimes… Especially when Lance would comment on it.

Lance…

Rage suddenly filled his limbs and Keith’s attacks became relentless and savage. He moved around, overwhelming his opponent completely until he pushed him on the ground and Keith had his weapon pointed at the other General’s throat.

He didn’t kill Zotrok, even if he could have. He needed the information and he couldn’t risk his life for some Galra General. He wanted to destroy this whole ship, not kill only one of them.

“I win,” Keith stated, removing the blade from its place against Zotrok’s throat.

“You’re pretty good. Where did you learn how to fight like that?” Zotrok asked.

“Paladin training,” Keith answered simply.

“Oh, yeah, the other Paladin, the Blue One, he fought well too. I saw him in the Arena. Too bad he’s dead now,” Zotrok said lightly as he stood back up.

Keith lifted his weapon in a precise movement to point it back at the Galra’s throat.

“Don’t you dare talk about him,” Keith growled.

“Alright, alright! I get it. It’s a sensitive subject,” Zotrok said defensively, stepping away from Keith.

Keith dropped his weapon to his side and then let it fall to the ground. It wasn’t his anyway.

“The secret what is it?” Keith demanded.

“Oh, come on, let’s go get lunch first!” Zotrok offered.

“I don’t have time to lose…” Keith started, heading to leave the training room and continue his search.

Zotrok had another idea though, grabbing Keith by the shoulders again and dragging him somewhere that didn’t look like the way to the cafeteria.

“I think for dinner we’re having their special shallow-fried crown quoll and ashuntine B.O.M.~B!” Zotrok said, spelling the last word with a happy voice.

Keith would’ve punched him in the face if he hadn’t understood the Galra’s message as he had lingered lightly on the “M”. Keith wasn’t sure he could trust him, but it was the closest he had been to a solution so far.

“Why tell me that? I’m Haggar’s soldier now...” Keith started.

“Because even Haggar’s soldiers need to eat! Are you dense or what?” Zotrok laughed.

Keith growled in annoyance.

“Anyway… Are you ready to face your friends?” Zotrok asked.

Keith didn’t answer.

“Not to brag, but I am. Some said that there was no way they would fight with three Paladins gone, especially since one of them is d…” Zotrok said.

Keith glared at him. It seemed to intimidate his new “friend” enough that he let go of his shoulders.

“Oh, yeah, sensitive subject, sorry… Anyway, as for me, I’m sure they will come soon, that’s also why Haggar’s demanded that we be on our guard until the time comes. She’s being careful, y’know. That’s a war strategist for you!” Zotrok explained.

Keith understood the hidden message. Their team was on their way and would attack soon.

“Where is she? I haven’t seen her in a while? And Shi-… The Champion?” Keith asked as Zotrok leaned against a wall beside a door to a room Keith hadn’t explored yet.

“She’s busy with some… project,” Zotrok winced at the word, which was weird. “I can’t tell you what it is though. Sensitive subject territory,” Zotrok explained.

Keith’s eyes widened. His entire attention on Zotrok now who was looking at some weird watch around his wrist. 

“What do you mean?” Keith asked.

“Times’ up! Wanna know what the secret was?” Zotrok asked with a teasing smile. “Hold your breath…”

Zotrok took a deep breath, and Keith did the same, completely confused, but still interested in the Galra enough now to follow his advice. The door to the room beside them opened then, and Zotrok made his way in right away. Keith followed him, holding his breath in as the other Galra had told him. There didn’t seem to be anything weird at first, until he realized that no one was moving. Zotrok made his way swiftly across the room and Keith did the same. Finally, they reached some kind of weird board. The Galra taped on it a sequence of codes quickly. He was prepared, Keith noticed.

But nothing happened.

They left the room right after. Keith still unsure as to what had happened. Once out, Zotrok spoke again.

“I found it! I was sure it was there!” Zotrok exclaimed happily.

“You found what?” Keith asked, confused.

“The key to my room! I can’t get inside without it,” Zotrok said, cheerfully.

Damn, this man was good with words. But still, Keith was even more confused. He wasn’t an imbecile, but he was still far from being smart like Pidge. He wanted clear answers.

“And if you leave your door unlocked, your foes can come in whenever they want,” Zotrok warned him.

“Isn’t there an automatic lock?” Keith asked, following Zotrok way of talking, even if it annoyed him a bit.

He knew there was a reason Zotrok was talking this way. They were certainly spied on or there were bugs all around this place.

“Yes, there is, but if you used your key, I think it takes around 30 dobashes before the automatic lock activates again,” Zotrok. ”I know a guy that could tell us exactly how it works though. I’m sure you’ll like him! He’s a bit grumpy like you, so you’ll probably get along better with him than with me,” Zotrok told him.

“Whatever,” Keith replied.

Keith was nervous, he knew that something was going on and that his friends were certainly really close to him now. He wished he could’ve done more, but he was just led around by Zotrok, probably being saved.

He wanted more than to escape, he wanted this ship to go down…

But being free was still better than remaining here for a risky vengeance.

“Oh, and joining the Galra was a really good initiative,” Zotrok said.

“But I’m stuck now…” Keith started.

“Yeah, you are. Even that magical Princess of yours won’t be able to save you from Haggar’s sorcery. It’s not like the Altean Princess can fight Haggar,” Zotrok said.

Zotrok knew Allura had stood up against Haggar in the past, she had even won and destroyed the Komar.

Oh!

This meant that Allura could maybe save him!

“We’re here!” Zotrok said joyfully as they reached a room in a quiet corner of the ship.

Honestly, where the hell…

His thoughts were suddenly cut off by the sight before him as he entered the room.

His breath caught in his throat realizing who stood in front of him.

He almost collapsed under the emotions.

“H-how?” he asked, eyes teary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!   
> Please leave kudos and comments! 
> 
> You can also follow me or send me an ask or a message on Tumblr: Prettygoo-d.


	31. Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> It's time for Keith to be rescued... That is, if Haggar doesn't show up!
> 
> Btw, my chapters will probably get bigger from now on. And I also plan on drawing Zyu and Zotrok to celebrate reaching 400 followers on Tumblr (Prettygoo-d - I'm at 335 followers as of now :P). 
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments!
> 
> Thanks!!

Pidge, Hunk, Lotor, Allura, Matt, Kolivan and a few other Rebel fighters and Blades were in the room Keith had just entered with Zotrok.

Keith couldn’t believe his eyes, they were really here! Pidge leaped forward and hugged him, crying. He hugged her back, and Hunk joined the hug too, as emotional. Keith let a small tear fall too.

He was so happy to see them. He hadn’t expected them here so soon. Yet, it hadn’t been soon enough…

“We’re sorry… We tried to make it as fast we could, but…” Pidge started.

“It’s ok, it’s not your fault,” Keith replied, he didn’t blame them, and now was not the time to think about this anyway. “Now what?”

“We have to act fast. We passed by the walls to get there. You’ll have to go back to Green with Zotrok and I. In the meantime, Allura, Hunk, the Blades and the Rebels will take care of evacuating as many prisoners as they can with Blue and Yellow, which will create a distraction for the sentries and Haggar,” Pidge explained, handing Keith and Zotrok helmets that they put on right away.

“But what about the Galra Generals?” Keith asked, concerned.

This plan was way too reckless. They were on the Galra Empire main ship, for quiznack’s sake! There were at least 30 Generals in here.

“Don’t underestimate us, Buddy, Slav created something awesome with the Olkari. Zotrok tested it to let us in a few minutes ago, so I guess it works. Anyway, Slav was like, ‘there’s 77.93% chance it’ll work, otherwise you’re all doomed!’” Hunk explained, doing a dramatic imitation of Slav.

“It’s a special spore-like weapon that makes people unable to move for about 30 minutes. It’s inspired by some pretty good defence mechanism of a semi-animal alien plant,” Pidge explained excitedly.

“We have enough antidote to evacuate thousands of prisoners, so you know,” Hunk added, showing the capsules hanging on the side of his hip proudly.

“The spores should take effect soon. Keith, you are our priority, that means you must get out of here before it all goes down and our cover is blown,” Allura told him.

“No, I can fight with you!” Keith started, not wanting to let them risk their life while he escaped.

“Nope, you can’t,” Zotrok replied. “The oath, you remember? You can leave, but if you fight against the Galras then it might count as a betrayal. And if Haggar comes out and gives you the order to kill your friends? What do you think will happen?”

“No, she can’t…” Keith started.

“She can’t hurt your friends, but she can order other people to do it, and that means you too,” Zotrok explained. “You’re the most in danger between all of us right now. That’s why you need to leave this ship right away. Understand?”

Keith growled in defeat. They were right, he had to trust that they knew what they were doing and would all make it back.

“Let’s not waste any more time now. Red Paladin…” Lotor said, motioning to the made-up door.

“Alright, things better go according to plan or I’m coming back,” Keith said.

Leaving them behind made him feel uneasy.

But he trusted his friends.

 

—

 

Zyu was sitting paralyzed in his cell alone when he heard it. The well-known sound of blasters and fight. They were already here? It couldn’t be…

“This area has been cleared! We’re taking care of the remaining prisoners!” A male voice announced.

Battle noises still resounded in the hallways, but the door to his cell was forcefully opened a few ticks later. An alien looking much like Lance entered the room. He had light brown hair that reached his shoulders and golden-brown eyes.

“Hi! My name is Matt, we’re here to rescue you,” he said, injecting something in Zyu’s arm that made him suddenly able to move his limbs again.

After that, Matt aimed his weapon over Zyu’s head and fired. Zyu’s cuffs were sectioned right in the middle, making him free.

“Follow me!” Matt requested.

“Are you a Paladin of Voltron too?” Zyu asked.

“No, but I’m working with them,” Matt answered as they made their way to his allies. “All the other cells were empty! We’re ready to move!” He called to his comrades.

“You know Lance then?” Zyu asked.

“Yes…” Matt replied, tone suddenly sombre.

Zyu then grabbed Matt’s arm, making him stop in his track.

“We have to save him,” Zyu said.

“I—… Lance is…” Matt started to reply.

“He’s still alive, I saw him,” Zyu cut him. “They saved him with some weird Galra tech. We have to go get him,” Zyu insisted, Matt’s eyes widening at the statement.

“It can’t be… Shit!” He said, his thoughts visibly running wild with possibilities. ”Pidge, do you hear me?” He called over the coms in his ears. “I have to make a small detour on our route.”

He seemed to cut his mic and then turned to Zyu. “Where is he?”

“He’s probably in Haggar’s lab, so I guess we need a way to get the information on how to get there,” Zyu answered.

“Alright, I can take care of that,” Matt said heading for a console near them and starting to tap on it.

“Why didn’t you tell your allies that you’re looking for their friend?” Zyu asked, confused.

“Pidge is my little sister and the Paladin of the Green Lion. She was devastated when Lance… when Lance died. I don’t want to lift her hopes up only to crush them down if he’s really gone,” Matt explained as he worked quickly on the console in front of him until a map appeared there.

Zyu was impressed by Matt’s answer. So, the Coalition he had heard rumours of was made of kindhearted and courageous people like them, uh? Sign him up then!

“There, I think I got it!” Matt announced already running to the location he had found.

Zyu saw a rebel fighter a few feet away that looked strangely familiar.

He barely saw her, but he knew… He knew Lance had been right.

There was at least one other like him.

But he followed Matt anyway.

He would save Lance.

It was his priority.

 

—

 

Lotor and Allura were leading the prisoners to their escape route, accompanied by Blades members. Everything had gone according to plan so far, but they remained on their guard.

“What’s your status, Pidge?” Allura asked over the coms.

“We’re near the Green, Allura!” She answered.

“Hunk?” Allura asked.

“We’re on our way! Matt still hasn’t come back though. What should we do? Should we wait for him?” He asked, visibly anxious.

“No, follow the plan,” Allura answered.

“What the hell are you doing, Matt? You’re going too far into the ship. Don’t be reckless, you dumbass!” Pidge yelled angrily.

She sounded worried, and she had all the rights to be. She had already lost a brother not so long ago.

“Guys… We reached Haggar’s lab. Shiro’s standing in front of it, so we can’t get in, but I hacked into their security system… You should all see this,” he added.

Then, they all saw a small video feed appear in the corner of their helmet’s visor.

“No, it can’t be…” Allura started, shocked by the images.

“Oh my God, guys, it's Lance!” Hunk yelled, distressed.

The quality of the video was awfully bad.

But they clearly recognized Lance.

And could see his condition.

Seeing him alive again…

Was it a blessing?

Or a curse?

 

—

 

Pidge had stopped running abruptly. She turned around looking behind Keith and Zotrok, tears in her eyes, and teeth clenched.

“What’s going on? Wait, why don’t my coms work?!” Keith asked, angry to be left out of what was happening in this battle.

They probably didn’t want him to find out if things turned sour. Their priority was getting him out of here, but, as he had said, if he learned that things didn’t go according to plan or someone got hurt, he would run back inside to try and save them, disregarding his own security completely.

Pidge growled a curse and got back to running towards the Green Lion. Keith understood that something bad had probably happened. Something really bad…

“What’s going on, Pidge?” He asked, stopping her in her run by grabbing her arm.

She didn’t look at him and couldn’t seem to answer his question. “We have to get you to safety,” she told him, voice tight.

“I’m not going anywhere if you don’t tell me what’s going on! Is someone hurt? Is the plan falling apart? Tell me!” He insisted.

Zotrok put a hand on his shoulder.

“Calm down, Keith. The mission’s objective is to get you back to safety. We’ll tell you what happened later,” Zotrok said.

“No… I need to know,” Keith answered, backing away from his friends and making as if to run back on their track.

Zotrok jumped on him right as he turned around, pining him to the ground to prevent him from running away from the Green Lion.

“Let me go!” Keith growled.

“Keith, stop it! Don’t be a dumbass! You’ll just get in their way as you are now!” Zotrok replied, fighting against Keith’s struggle.

“Watch out!” Pidge yelled then.

A tick later, the weight that kept Keith on the ground was gone, replaced by purple lightning.

No…

No! Shit, Zotrok!

Keith sat right away, looking around frantically, scared to find the corpse of Zotrok near him, but his eyes fell on the forms of Pidge and Zotrok a few feet away from him. Pidge had saved Zotrok, but the malicious lightning attack had grazed his side. Zotrok was wounded now and Keith felt guilty, because they could have already been in the Green Lion on their way to the Castle if he hadn’t messed around.

Keith’s eyes turned to the figure behind him.

A shiver ran down his spine.

Haggar...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Please leave kudos and comments :D


	32. Failure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> Haggar showed up and things don't go as planned. 
> 
> This chapter is sad and I'm not sorry :) 
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments! 
> 
> Thanks!!

“What’s happening? I can’t get any response from Pidge,” Allura said, annoyed and anxious.

“Matt, what’s your status?” Kolivan asked over the coms.

“No way in. There are tons of druids and sentries, and Shiro’s still in front of the door… There’s no way we can fight them all. It’s like their most powerful defenses left on this ship are focused on him. They really don’t want us to take him back. At least, Haggar’s not here…” Matt replied.

“This is really weird. Why would they put so much effort on keeping Lance, but not Keith?” Hunk asked then, still anxious.

“Zyu knows…” Matt said then. “I’ll let him explain it to you.”

“Zyu?” Hunk asked, confused.

“Hi, my name’s Zyu, I was a special prisoner with Lance. There’s a reason they are protecting him this much. Haggar has changed him… The last time I spoke to him, he said he wasn’t feeling like himself and he feared he would hurt you, so he told me that, if you were to come here, I had to convince you to leave him behind,” Zyu explained.

“What?! Like we’re gonna do that!” Hunk exclaimed.

“I wanted to save him too, but Matt explained your plan to me and… I doubt we can save him without casualties,” Zyu explained. “Lance wouldn’t want anybody to die for him.”

“What can we do then? We can’t just leave him behind? Allura?” Hunk asked.

“This is a waste of time,” Lotor said then, sounding clearly annoyed. “The spore’s effect will run out too soon for us to really have any chance to win this fight. We continue with the plan, there is no other option!”

There was a small moment of silence. They hated it… Everyone could feel the same terrible helplessness and anger. Lotor looked thoughtful beside Allura.

“Everyone, follow the plan,” Kolivan ordered.

“Understood,” the others answered.

It hurt them all to agree with him.

To leave Lance behind.

To fail him again…

 

—

 

“Pidge! Run!” Keith screamed.

Pidge looked at him like he was out of his mind. Keith got up and looked around, searching for a weapon, but there was nothing in the small space between the walls. They had maybe four or five metres from wall to wall and nothing whatsoever lying around that he could use.

Haggar teleported herself behind him then.

“Well, if it isn’t the Red General. Are you betraying the Empire?” She asked.

“Leave him alone!” Pidge screamed, firing her Bayard in Haggar’s direction.

Haggar disappeared again, but this time she didn’t reappear anywhere in their field of vision.

“Keith! Block your ears, so you don’t hear her orders!” Pidge yelled.

Keith took off his helmet and put his hands on his ears right away. They were looking around, knowing that Haggar would attack them eventually.

“Your attempts at escaping your fate are futile, Paladins,” Haggar’s voice laughed in their mind.

“Don’t… Don’t try to fight her, just go… You have to go!” Zotrok croaked desperately, visibly in pain.

Pidge turned back to Zotrok, trying to help him to his feet, even if he tried to convince her to leave him behind.

Then, all the hope he had disappeared instantaneously. “Red General, Kill them,” Haggar’s voice said then.

“No…” Zotrok said, defeated. “You fucking witch! I’m gonna destroy you!” He roared.

A loud laugh resounded in the walls around them in answer. They had seen it coming, yet they couldn’t prevent it. Or they could have if they had been fast enough, but Keith had messed up.

“No… No! Shit, there’s gotta be a way out of this!” Pidge panicked, her mind running wild with possibilities that didn’t lead to any solution.

“You have 1 minute to end their life, or else you’ll lose yours,” Haggar said.

Keith’s throat tightened. So, this was it, uh? After all their efforts, it was the end for him.

At least, he would join Lance again soon.

Keith took in a shaky breath and smiled at Pidge as tears pricked his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Pidge,” he told her.

Her brown eyes widened in horror at the realization that she was going to lose another brother, even if she had been so close to save him.

And then, a painful shock coursed through his body. He saw Pidge yell something as tears fell down her cheeks, but he couldn’t hear anything.

His whole body felt numb and unresponsive.

His foggy mind registered him falling.

And then darkness swallowed him.

 

—

 

Pidge watched with horror as Keith’s eyes glazed over and he fell to the ground, unmoving. She was hurting and heartbroken.

“Pidge? Pidge, listen to me! Come on, you have to escape!” Zotrok tried, even if he was still in pain.

Keith had been right there, in front of her, alive a second and dead the other.

It was like she couldn’t breathe anymore. And then, Haggar appeared in front of her.

“Let me put you out of your misery,” Haggar said, a purple magic orb forming in her hand.

Pidge closed her eyes. It was the first time in her life that she really didn’t have the will to fight.

“Pidge, come one! You can’t give up!” Zotrok tried, trying to get her to fight again.

What would it do anyway? Would she end up in more pain? Would she continue losing family members by the hand of the monster standing before her?

Would her heart even survive any more pain anyway?

“What the hell are you doing?!” An angry voice screamed then.

Pidge opened her eyes to see Matt attacking Haggar without fear. Haggar disappeared when Matt was about to attack and reappeared right behind him. Pidge grabbed her Bayard then and fired right away. She saw Haggar throw her orb at her brother, but Pidge’s Bayard struck her wrist and the throw was put off a bit. Still, it hit Matt who cried out in pain.

No, she couldn’t give up!

She still wanted to protect the people she loved that were still alive.

Her brother, her father, her mother, Hunk, Allura, Coran… She still had people to fight for! Pidge made another attempt at hitting Haggar with her Bayard, but the witch grabbed it this time and smiled slyly at Pidge who smiled back, activating the electric current. Haggar let go of the weapon with an enraged scream. She made to fire lightning at Pidge, but someone stood in between them with a shield.

At first, Pidge thought it was Nyma, but she soon realized that the person shielding her had more muscles and was more masculine. He had scars covering his body and wore only the tight pants typical of Galra prisoners.

“Get away from them!” Lotor demanded, arriving to the scene as well.

Haggar was visibly starting to get overwhelmed. Zotrok and Matt were out of commission, but Pidge, Lotor and Zyu were still able to fight.

It was unnerving to see Matt so in pain on the ground not so far away from Pidge, but at least he was still alive.

“My traitorous son, I didn’t expect to see you amongst them. You’ve become even more reckless,” she greeted him, staying at a secure distance from them all. “You’ll regret having sided with the losing side of this war!” She added before disappearing in an explosion of purple smoke.

“Is she gone?” Zyu asked.

“Yes, she is… and she took Keith with her,” Zotrok said, voicing everyone’s observation.

Zyu let the shield disappear and Pidge ran to her brother right away. He looked in terrible pain. They needed medical help.

Zyu helped Zotrok to stand up.

“My saviour,” Zotrok teased the ex-prisoner.

“Shut up,” Zyu smiled. “You were supposed to be the one saving me.”

“Hey, we had some mishaps, but I helped!” Zotrok replied, looking offended even through the pain.

"Stop talking, conserve your energy," Zyu told him. 

"Ok, Captain," Zotrok murmured. 

Not far away, Lotor picked Matt in his arms and started heading for the Green Lion again, Pidge on his heels.

“Come on, let’s leave,” Lotor said, his expression full of anger.

His tone made them all remember.

They had failed in their mission.

They had failed Keith.

 

\---

 

 

Many people were saved and the wounded were put in healing pods.

They had revived the hope of prisoners that had believed they would never be free again.

But it did nothing to calm Pidge’s wails when they finally made it back to the Castle.

It did nothing to give motivation for Hunk to make a comforting lunch for the rescued like he used to after this kind of missions.

It did nothing to alleviate the pain in Coran’s heart at the loss of yet another young boy who could have lived way longer if it hadn’t been of this quiznacking war.

It did nothing to relieve Allura of the cruel thoughts saying that she should have seen it coming, should’ve formulated a better plan, should’ve gone for Haggar herself and killed her…

They were at their limit, they needed rest and time to mourn.

The war wasn’t over, but this failure had really hurt them.

It would take time to get back on their feet again.

They would also have to…

To find new Paladins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!   
> Please leave kudos and comments :D 
> 
> You can also follow me on Tumblr: Prettygoo-d


	33. Arena

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers!
> 
> The Champion fights against his most threatening opponent so far... 
> 
> This chapter has art from me on this link: https://prettygoo-d.tumblr.com/post/178369038554/hi-everyone-this-art-is-for-chapter-33-of-my
> 
> Thanks!!

He was dancing with someone.

It felt nice. The person in front of him was clumsy at first, but it was really endearing. The other boy had a small smile, dark hair and purple eyes, but he couldn’t seem to recognize his features.

He knew this person. They were close maybe? He wasn’t sure, but he didn’t want the dance to end.

But it did.

“Awake, Blue Fighter,” a voice told him.

And he opened his eyes.

 

-

 

“Wakey wakey, _Red General_ ,” a joyful voice told him as water was splashed unceremoniously on his face.

He opened his eyes and gasped for air confused. Wasn’t he… Wasn’t he supposed to be dead? What was happening?

Keith looked around. He was cuffed, lying on the ground and surrounded by Lotor’s former Generals.

“W-what the…?” He started.

“Here he is! Let’s go, we wouldn’t want to make Haggar wait, right?” Ezor said cheerfully.

They grabbed him and forced him to walk in the hallways of the ship. He asked them what had happened, why he wasn’t dead and where they were taking him, but they didn’t have any answer except…

“Haggar’s upset, so she wanna enjoy a good show with her favourite Generals,” Ezor told him with a wink.

Axca was there too, looking annoyed with her comrade’s attitude, but not saying anything. The other one, Zethrid, looked as excited as Ezor. This was suspicious.

“Here we are!” Zethrid announced as they entered a huge stadium.

This was the Arena.

It was full, Galra spectators cheering loudly, awaiting a show Keith dreaded more and more as the seconds passed. Had his friends been captured too? Was Pidge here? Were they gonna make them fight to the death the same way they had made Lance fight?

He was forcefully led to a balcony, a place of choice for an awful show. He was seated and cuffed to one of the two big chairs there. Haggar joined them soon after.

“Hi, Red General. Did you really think I would put my life in danger for an oath with you? I merely placed a debilitating spell instead. This is how I was able to capture you once again,” Haggar explained. “After your team’s attack on this ship, the soldiers were angry and unhappy, obviously. I thought it would be a good idea to offer them a battle worth lifting their spirit up. I also made sure that it would be shown throughout the universe. I believe the Coalition will enjoy it as well,” she said with a smile that sent shivers down his spine.

It might have answered some of his questions, but he had still many more unanswered. He was terrified. He feared the worse… But still he wasn’t ready for what came next.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the most awaited combat since the creation of the Arena! Today, the Champion will face his most threatening opponent so far! Let’s cheer for them! The Champion versus the Blue Fighter!” the presenter announced energetically.

When the two opponents made their way inside the Arena, Keith felt like the floor had just dropped below him.

No…

No no no…

This was a nightmare…

It couldn’t be real…

“Lance?” He breathed with a small voice.

It couldn’t be him, right? Lance… He had seen him died on the video. He had thought he would never see him again. And yet, there he was, so close to him, yet still unreachable.

Keith felt the need to hold him close again.

He wanted to hear the melody of his beating heart.

To feel his warmth and the soft sensation of his skin. 

To see him smile and kiss him in all the places the Galra had hurt him.

To tell him how much he loved him and make him forget about the horrors he had certainly experienced.

But he couldn’t. He was stuck, cuffed to this chair, helpless and terrified.

Lance wore a Galra uniform and the left side of his face had been replaced by Galra tech. His left eye glowed blue.

“We were able to revive him, but his body would have collapsed again under the fatal injury he suffered. Fortunately, I am not without resources. We replaced the dead organs and powered it all with a Balmera crystal, his heart being too weak to provide the necessary energy to let him survive. Then, we decided to make some needed upgrades to his body. His torso, shoulders, jaw and the left side of his face are mostly made of Galra technology now. He is way more powerful now, and it would take a lot to kill him,” Haggar explained proudly.

Keith felt nauseous. Lance… They had changed him so much. Yet, Keith didn’t even realize to what extent Lance wasn’t his Lance anymore.

“Oh, don’t be so mournful, Red One, at least he isn’t a clone, unlike your former team leader,” she said.

It hurt… It hurt so freaking bad. These two people had been so important to him. He remembered their smile, their encouraging word, their determination and care. He wished they were dead now. He wished Haggar could let them free, whatever “free” meant at this point.

“For your information, I had wanted to keep the Blue Fighter as my personal guard for a while, and then give him to you as a reward if you behaved, but it seems like I need to teach you a lesson instead,” Haggar added.

Defeated tears were falling down his cheeks now. Why did it have to be this way? Why?!

“Let the match begin!” The presenter cheered.

“P-please stop…” Keith pleaded shamefully.

“It’s too late for that now, Red One,” Haggar answered.

The match started. Shiro and Lance attacked each other right away. Shiro’s arm lit up and a purple translucid blade appeared on it, while Lance summoned a blade from one of his shoulders. They were equipped like the belt of their Paladin armour now.

Their blades collided and the audience cheered loudly around Keith. Lance then agilely evaded one of Shiro’s attack before trying to stab him in retaliation. Shiro dodged, but Lance’s attack had been a diversion. Lance landed a good punch on Shiro’s face, making him stagger a few steps back. Shiro was back at it right after, finding an opening as Lance tried to evade his attacks. Shiro’s weapon sliced Lance’s right thigh.

Keith saw the pain on Lance’s feature, even if he tried to push it aside almost immediately. Shiro, however, had a crazy smile on his lips.

“Stop!” Keith tried, tugging against his restraints.

Lance countered by slicing Shiro torso next. This wound was deeper.

“Shiro! Lance! Don’t do this!” Keith yelled desperately. “Stop!”

“It’s futile, Red One, they are mine now, there is no way they’ll listen to you,” Haggar told him.

He ignored her words and continued to try to reach them, yelling louder and louder, his voice breaking. He would do anything to make it stop, even if the only thing he could do was to scream and hope that it would miraculously break Haggar’s spell.

He was terrified of seeing them die again.

That was all the motivation he needed.

He would never give up on them.

So, he kept screaming…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Please leave kudos and comments!
> 
> You can follow me on Tumblr: Prettygoo-d
> 
> There is art for this fic on this link: https://prettygoo-d.tumblr.com/post/178369038554/hi-everyone-this-art-is-for-chapter-33-of-my


	34. Champion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> Shiro and Lance fight... 
> 
> This chapter is from Shiro's POV. I hope you'll like it. 
> 
> Thanks!!

Shiro was fighting, moving swiftly and striking without mercy, following Haggar’s orders, as usual, but something was different.

He had already tormented his opponent, Lance, or the Blue Fighter as Haggar called him. He knew him. He remembered his screams and his blood on his hands. It was exhilarating, knowing that he could potentially feel the same addictive sensation again. He wanted to hear his broken screams and breathless sobs and pleas… He wondered if the boy could still make that kind of noises.

Probably not from his hand at least.

He still wanted… No, he _needed_ to torture and finally kill him for good. 

But something was wrong. There was something weird inside his head, as if there was someone else sharing his thoughts, and this person was taking more and more place, going against him. This other person didn’t want to fight. Shiro supressed the strange feeling, focusing on his opponent who was holding his ground way better than the first time they had fought. His movements were fast and precise. Shiro guessed it was thanks to Haggar’s upgrades on his body and the emotional burden she had removed.

Their battle was pretty much a tie so far. The boy’s punches were powerful now, thanks to the enhanced shoulders and torso, and his hits were precise, helped by the analyzing battle program comprised in his new prosthetic eye. His ability to use a blade were unknown to Shiro until now, and he didn’t disappoint him, being able to cut him deep on his torso at some point in their fight.

If Blue won this battle, Haggar would probably transform him even more into a war machine.

But Shiro didn’t intend to let him live through this battle.

He smiled wickedly as their attacks on each other became even more dangerous.

This was enjoyable, so enjoyable!

“No! Stop! Damn it, stop!” A voice screamed from far away.

Shiro staggered on his feet, taken aback by the clarity of the words. He recognized the sound of this voice.

Keith…

Why was he still having an effect on him? He wasn’t his true brother. He was only a wicked copy of the real Shiro, he was Haggar’s soldier.

_You can’t give up on yourself._

What was that? Was that his voice? Yes… It was from his Original’s memories. It wasn’t him! It wasn’t!

_How many times are you gonna have to save me before this is over?_

“Please, you have to stop! Don’t follow her orders!” Keith tried again, sounding desperate.

Why did Keith’s voice reach him to his chore? Why did it affect him this much? Why did it distract him so easily?!

_As many times as it takes._

Shiro’s body froze for a small instant.

And suddenly he felt pain in his abdomen. He looked down, confused.

Oh.

Lance’s weapon was embedded in his stomach, blood already leaking from the wound.

So, this was it, uh? Because of a simple distraction… Because of Keith…

He closed his eyes as he fell to the ground. For once, he felt at peace again. Being at war with himself and his memories had been tiring. Now, he didn’t have to fight anymore. His link to Haggar was cut off and he let sorry tears escape his eyes.

He had done so many horrible things in the end, mind-controlled by Haggar so he would enjoy torturing others.

He regretted it so much, but at least he wouldn’t hurt anyone else anymore. He thought of Keith and apologized internally as dark spots appeared in his vision. His little brother… He didn’t deserve so much pain in his life. He didn’t deserve to see them die repetitively.

He had seen Keith grow into a fine leader. He had supported him when he was giving up on himself. He remembered his smile and laugh being the sweetest thing as he came to care for him like a family member.

Shiro had been so profoundly proud of him. Keith deserved to be recognized for his talent and strength. He deserved to be surrounded by people that truly cared about him. He deserved love and lightheartedness…

Shiro wished as his death neared that things would turn out better for his little brother. He wished Lance and Keith would be happy once more. That they would be truly together again and live a full peaceful life.

So, he grabbed Lance shoulder as the younger man was about to pull out his sword from Shiro’s body.

He transferred information to Lance through their Galra tech.

It was the least he could do before he left this world.

It was the last bit of hope he could give them.

He closed his eyes for the last time.

Praying that it would help them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!   
> Please leave kudos and comments!!
> 
> Don't forget to visit my tumblr: Prettygoo-d  
> There is a list of art (2 for this fic) in my Fanfic Master Post!


	35. Chasing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> In this chapter, we get to see Lance's situation, the Team's reaction to the battle against Shiro, and Zyu and Zotrok's relationship!
> 
> I hesitated to add the last part of this chapter, the one about Zyu and Zotrok's relationship, but I had this idea for a long time, and I love my OCs so much that I had to write it. It also leads to some important event in the next chapter (pretty obviously hinted at in the last sentences). 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy it! 
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments!
> 
> Thanks!!

“SHIRO!” A pained scream resounded in the Arena.

Blue looked passed his dying opponent and up at the balcony where the voice came from, confused by this reaction. He caught the wide sorrowful purple eyes of the person beside Haggar. Blue frowned. Why did he look familiar? Why did he appear so horrified?

The Champion fell to the ground and Blue went to remove his weapon still stuck in his chest, but then his opponent grabbed his shoulder. A strange current coursed through him. Information filled his mind. Taken off guard, Blue suddenly stepped back, away from the Champion’s touch.

His head couldn’t seem to process the information well. He knew there was something there, but he didn’t know what yet. He felt as if he had forgotten something important and he was just about to remember, but still couldn’t.

His frown deepened for a second, annoyed, but he didn’t let this distract him any longer.

He walked out of the Arena where Galra Generals awaited him to take care of his injuries.

“So, did you enjoy yourself, Blue?” A happy voice asked.

He turned to the figure entering the room. It was Ezor. He smiled at her, he liked her energy.

“It’s too bad I had to kill him, he was hot,” Blue answered.

“Don’t worry, Haggar has tons of clones of him,” Ezor answered. “Oh, that’s a nasty wound,” she added, looking at the deep cut on his right thigh.

“Nothing I can’t handle,” he replied with a cocky smile. “By the way, who was it with Haggar?”

“You know, one of her victims. Why?” She asked, looking disinterested.

“Nothing, just thought he was kinda good looking. I suppose I won’t see him around anymore,” he replied, looking disappointed.

“Well, it depends what Haggar plans to do with him now. She wanted him to be a Galra General, but he kinda tried to betray us,” Ezor explained with a small wince.

“He’s Galra?” Blue asked, confused.

“He’s half-Galra. I gotta go now, but… don’t talk about him in front of Haggar, she’s not gonna like it,” Ezor warned him. “If I were you, I’d completely forget about him, he’s not worth the pain.”

The pain?

“Anyway, see ya later, Blue!” Ezor told him.

She left and a Galra soldier finally arrived with a medical kit to take care of his wound.

He was left to think and search his confused thoughts about the last fight.

Why did the boy on the balcony make such an impression on him?

What had happened earlier with the Champion?

What was going in his mind?

Why was he so confused?

 

-

 

“Keith is alive…” Pidge said when the video ended, voice emotional.

Yes, they had really taken their failure hard. It had been… devastating. But this reanimated their hope. Keith and Lance were both alive. Well, things were more complicated than that. Shiro was dead now. It hurt too, but it was different because of what he had done to Lance before. The Cuban boy was still controlled by Haggar and Keith was still captured, but nothing was completely hopeless if they weren’t all dead.

“What do we do now? We have to find a way to save them! We have to try again!” Hunk said, determined.

“No, we’re not attempting another vain rescue,” Lotor stated.

“You don’t get to decide for us!” Pidge replied angrily.

“If you had listened to me before, we would be closer to really rescuing them. We would have certainly already found at least one new Paladin to replace your captured friend,” Lotor replied, irritated.

“You just don’t know what real friends are,” Pidge bit back.

“This is not the issue! Two fighters were gravely wounded because of your recklessness. You almost lost your brother! Don’t you understand how perilous it would be to attack them again so soon?” Lotor argued.

Pidge was about to continue this argument, but Allura stopped them.

“Lotor… is right,” she admitted. “We can’t attempt another rescue mission without having an infallible plan this time.”

“But… It was the best plan we could come up with, no?” Hunk asked, anxious.

“Yes, it was,” Allura admitted.

“May I restate my proposition then?” Lotor asked and continued when nobody refused. “We have to find new Paladins and wait for Haggar to make the first move.”

“What? Wait for Haggar? We don’t know what she might do to them! What if… What if she changes Keith like she did for Lance and Shiro? What if she changes Lance even more!?” Hunk panicked.

“Yes, wait. She knows we’re down fighters and she seems to have now gained control of the Blue Paladin. However, what she truly aspires to obtain are the Lions, which means that she’ll inevitably attack us soon,” Lotor explained.

“Well, it does make a lot of sense,” Coran agreed.

“Then… Let’s do this,” Allura decided.

Pidge and Hunk exchanged an uncertain look.

This situation was really awful.

But they would fight.

And get through it.

 

-

 

“Hey, how are you feeling?” Zyu asked Zotrok as he helped him out of the healing pod.

“Just a little stiff, but I’m fine,” Zotrok replied. “So, what does freedom feels like?”

“Pretty good, actually,” Zyu answered.

“Is it the Castle that’s vibrating or you’re trembling?” Zotrok asked, concerned.

“It’s the aftereffects of the detox… I haven’t been injected with the Galra’s drug in a few days. Coran said that the symptoms will probably get worse before dissipating,” Zyu admitted.

“That’s awful, man. Make sure not to carry anything fragile, you’d make a mess,” Zotrok commented.

Zyu smiled at that. Zotrok and him were… close? Yeah, close. Zotrok protected him for a while while Zyu was captured. He would come sometimes to chat.

His first impression of Zotrok was that he was an immature asshole. Zyu had just awakened from his first injection and was shocked and terrified. Zotrok had come to his cell and threw him a roll of bandages right in the forehead. Zyu had turned to him with angry teary eyes.

“Don’t thank me, it’s not like they didn’t ask me to give this to you,” Zotrok had said before leaving.

It took a few unpleasant conversations for Zyu to finally realize that Zotrok was talking in riddles. And then it had all made sense that Zotrok was an ally and that he had gone behind the Galra’s back to give him tools to survive, like slightly more water or food, bandages and pills.

Then, Zyu started looking up to Zotrok’s visits more and more, but the Galra man had become a general and had been sent to take care of more important responsibilities on this ship, leaving him with practically no time to visit him.

He would never forget the last time Zotrok had talked to him before their escape.

“Still stuck in this place, uh?” Zotrok had greeted him.

Zyu had replied with a glare. Playing his part in their act of hatred. He could see that it was hurting Zotrok to still be unable to get him out of here after so long.

“I’m just here to be the usual asshole that I am and remind you that you’ll never get out of here,” Zotrok had said.

“Taking your title of being an asshole really seriously, I see,” Zyu had commented.

“Of course! I mean, I’m sure we were meant to meet, and I really think my purpose in life is to annoy you until the end. And even if you end up being saved or whatever, I’ll still be making sure I am a pain in the ass for you!” Zotrok replied proudly.

Zyu blushed brightly at these. He was used to Zotrok’s riddles, but this one… This one was special. He had felt more and more affection coming from Zotrok. To someone who didn’t know about their strange way to pass messages to one another, it looked nothing like that, but Zuy knew. And what Zotrok had just said meant that he would be saved and that he would stay by his side. But also, that he wanted more…

“I-I guess I’ll make sure to buy the best lubricant… for my ride… so I can escape you, y’know,” Zyu replied awkwardly, glancing quickly at Zotrok just in time to see his confusion change to realization and his face turning into a deep purple colour.

Zyu remembered how flustered he had been at the realization that he had been wrong about Zotrok’s riddles this time around. This had been deeply embarrassing.

“Oh… I didn’t know you were into rides and stuff. But you won’t escape me, I’ll always be chasing after you,” Zotrok replied with a cocky smile now.

“I guess maybe someday I’ll surrender,” Zyu replied.

And that’s how they kind of confessed. Kind of…

Zotrok smiled and wished him good luck. Zyu didn’t see him again for a long time after that. At some point, he thought that maybe Zotrok had forgotten about him, or that Zyu’s confession had pushed him away. He came to believe that maybe he really wouldn’t ever get out of there. His hopes died quickly with the mess the drugs made in his mind and the horrifying battles in the Arena. And then, Lance arrived and changed everything.

Now they were finally free.

Zyu led Zotrok to the medical table and helped him sit on it. Coran would come back soon and examine him to make sure he was completely healed and nothing was abnormal. Zyu took a blanket and put it on Zotrok’s shoulders. The Galra man didn’t refuse, looking deep in thought for a moment.

“Hey… Just so you know, I’m sorry it took so much time to get you out of there,” Zotrok admitted then, surprising Zyu by his unusually serious tone. “I don’t know if you still don’t mind me chasing after you, but if you do I’d…”

Zotrok’s sentence was cut off by chapped lips on his. Zyu had waited so long for this, and he knew of the uncertainty of life. Love was something he looked up to for so long. He had found it in Zotrok, but he thought it had gone away. Now that he was sure it was still there, he wouldn’t back down and wait until it was too late. When he separated, Zotrok was looking stunned.

“You don’t have to chase me anymore. Just ride along,” Zyu offered enjoying the dorky smile slowly appearing on Zotrok’s lips.

“Count me in,” Zotrok replied, taking Zyu’s jaw softly and kissing him back.

The door to the infirmary swooshed open then. Zotrok and Zyu turned to see Coran and two rebels. One man with lightly purple skin and… and someone looking strangely like Zyu. Nyma, if he recalled correctly.

“Oh, I hope I’m not interrupting anything!” Coran exclaimed.

“Well…” Zotrok started.

“No, it’s fine,” Zyu cut him, prioritizing Zotrok’s medical exam to enjoying more of their privacy.

“Perfect, then! It won’t be long, I just have some regular medical procedures to do to make sure you’re all healed up,” the Altean man said cheerfully to Zotrok.

Zyu left Zotrok’s side and walked up to the girl that had accompanied

“Zyu? I’m Nyma and this is my partner, Rolo. I’m glad to meet you. I didn’t think there was anyone left of the same ethnicity as mine,” she said.

“I didn’t think there was either. It’s a pleasure. Are you both rebel fighters?” He asked.

“Yes, we are,” Nyma answered, their eyes glancing back at Matt still in a pod.

He had taken a good hit to save his sister. His internal injuries were extensive, but he would make it thanks to the healing pods.

“Well, if you need help, I’ll be glad to join the Rebels,” Zyu answered.

“What? Sorry, but no, not happening. You’ve gone through enough. Why don’t we find a house for you on some peaceful planet and…” Zotrok started.

“I can fight and I will, like I know you will too. You were planning on going back to the Blades, right? Then, I’m gonna fight alongside you,” Zyu replied, determined.

Zotrok remained silent for a long moment, not happy with Zyu’s answer.

“Ok, let’s make a deal then. We help save Keith and Lance and after that we step back from actively being part of this war,” Zotrok offered. “If the Coalition, the Blades or the Rebels really _really_ need us again, we’ll go back, but otherwise we’ll do as I said.”

Zyu wasn’t sure that was really what he wanted. He had always wished to fight back against the Galra, to be part of the war and help the Coalition win against the Galra Empire. But now that he thought about Zotrok and living a long peaceful life with him, he wasn’t so sure he wanted to spend the rest of his life apart from him and fighting.

“Alright,” Zyu agreed.

Suddenly, roars echoed in the Castle of Lions.

Zyu and Zotrok felt a strange calling.

They looked at each other.

And nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!   
> Please leave kudos and comments! 
> 
> Tell me about your favourite parts of this chapter :)


	36. Precious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> We get insight on Lance and Keith's situation with the Galra and on Zyu and Zotrok's situation with Team Voltron :)
> 
> I hope you'll like this chapter. Things are still angsty, but they have died down a bit for now. 
> 
> Because of school and life in general, I almost couldn't post a new chapter this week, but I found time to do it in the end ^.^ Comments, fanarts and promotion are both really appreciated and motivate me to write :D (you can send it to me on Tumblr or tag me in posts)
> 
> Please leave Kudos and Comments! 
> 
> Thanks!!

Blue was dancing again.

But this time, he could recognize his partner. It was Haggar’s victim, the one who was sitting beside her during his fight against the Champion.

Yes, he remembered, the purple eyes and raven hair.

The young man smiled brightly and it looked so pure compared to the horrifying and desperate expression he had had earlier in the Arena. Blue smiled too, feeling a comfortable warmth in his stomach.

But he also had an uneasy sensation. It felt all too real, like he had already experienced that, but it hadn’t ended well. What would have caused such a precious moment to feel this way?

He didn’t know what it was, but he was certain now that something was wrong…

He could feel it in the atmosphere, a menace, a threat…

Where? Where was it? He looked around, but couldn’t find it. He started to panic.

“Lance…” the Champion’s voice said then.

Blue woke up with a start, breathing fast and confused. It was the middle of his rest period, he should’ve continued sleeping.

What was this weird dream?

He stood up and went to the public toilet next to his room. He was glad to see it was empty. There, he looked in the mirror and stared at his reflection for a long moment. He couldn’t recognize himself. Why was that? Probably the new tech… Yet, it came from some deeper part of him.

“Everything alright?” Acxa asked, taking him by surprise.

Lance let out a small yelp, turning to face Acxa. Had she followed him here? Why?

“Oh my God, I almost had a heart attack,” Blue complained.

“You… still have a heart?” Acxa asked, surprising him with her unusual interest.

Axca was not the curious type, unlike Ezor, he had learned. In answer, Blue looked at his chest, confused. Oh, yeah… The Balmera crystal.

“Yes, actually… It’s still beating and all, it’s just the Galra biotech that’s powered by the Balmera crystal… I think,” he explained, unsure.

Acxa didn’t answer for a long moment and Blue felt really awkward.

“So, hum… What are you doing here?” He asked.

“Try to be more subtile when you zone out in the future. I know your senses have been enhanced by Haggar. You should have noticed my presence way sooner,” Acxa warned him before finally leaving.

Blue stood there for a while, trying to make sense of her warning and the weirdness of this whole situation. He felt like he was missing something, but it was more than just the still inaccessible information the Champion had transferred to him.

He needed answers, and something told him it was better not to get them from Haggar.

She had saved him and he belonged to her.

But she was hiding something from him.

And he had to know what it was.

 

—

 

“What? How is this possible?” Allura asked, looking suspiciously at Zyu and Zotrok.

“We don’t really know either…” Zyu admitted.

“Maybe because the Lions were touched by our love and determination to save your lost Paladins,” Zotrok offered dramatically.

“Actually, it does make sense,” Coran agreed. “You both want to participate in freeing our friends from the Witch’s claws, you don’t intend to continue fighting once they are back and you have a similar connection to the one Keith and Lance shared. Maybe the Lions felt that you were the perfect temporary replacements for our team members.”

“Well, let’s not waste time then. Let’s see your piloting skills and how we work as a team,” Allura offered. “Follow me, we need to give you each a Paladin armour. Pidge, Hunk, get ready to go out.”

They both agreed with wide smiles, happy to know that they would probably not have to search for Paladin replacements. It accelerated things for them all. The sooner they were ready to fight, the best chance they had to really defeat Haggar when she would show up. They also already knew Zotrok and Zyu and Pidge had fought alongside the two of them.

Zyu opted for an orange armour and Zotrok for a purple one. Once ready, the trio headed to the Black Lion. They still didn’t know who between Zotrok and Zyu had been called by the Black Lion exactly.

Allura guided them with a strange feeling in her chest…

“It’s not calling to me,” Zyu admitted as they stopped in front of the imposing robot beast.

“Me neither,” Zotrok added.

“What? But you said the Lions roared…” Allura started, confused.

“Maybe the Black Lion wasn’t the one who roared,” Zyu offered.

Allura became thoughtful.

“Lance was the Blue Lion’s pilot before me, but when Shiro disappeared we had to go through a Lion shift. Lance moved to the Red Lion, so maybe you’re right and we are experiencing another shift,” she explained.

“Then, you should try to pilot the Black Lion. Pretty sure you’re supposed to be the interim boss,” Zotrok said.  

She hesitated, but finally walked to it. The Black Lion crouched down and opened its mouth. Well, this was probably a good sign. She entered the Lion’s mouth and sat in the pilot chair. She felt a link right away. The Lion stood up and roared.

“We’ll get Shiro, Keith and Lance back,” she murmured to the Lion, making it a promise to Black and herself.

She felt really honored to be chosen as the interim Black Lion’s pilot, but she was anxious. Yes, she had great leadership skills, but it was still something else to be seating in this chair, being the head of the most powerful weapon in the universe. She understood now, how much pressure Keith probably had felt. She felt guilty now for putting so much responsibilities on the young man. Fortunately, he had turned out to be a growingly good leader and one day he would be an excellent leader, she had no doubt.

“Princess, we’ll go to our Lions now! We can feel where they are!” Zyu announced, startling out of her deep thoughts.

“First one outside!” Zotrok added in Zyu’s direction as he ran out of Black’s hangar, Zyu’s on his heels a tick later.

Allura smiled softly, but sadly, the two man’s attitudes making her remember Lance and Keith.

She really missed them.

 

—

 

Keith was in a cell with his arms cuffed to the wall behind him. It was really uncomfortable and he could barely move in this position, limited to staying seated or stretching a bit. He was hungry and thirsty. He had been here for maybe 2 days now, and no one had given him food or water.

Above everything, he felt broken. He was so tired of seeing his loved ones being killed or almost die.

He was losing hope.

He heard footsteps then. They stopped right in front of his cell. Keith looked up to see Lance staring down at him. He had a cup of water and a bowl of purple goo in his hands. Keith looked away, unable to sustain the coldness of Lance’s eyes. Keith was a stranger to him.

“I’ve been assigned to feed you,” Lance announced.

Keith didn’t answer verbally, but his belly growled loudly at the thought of food. Lance opened the door, put the water and the goo on the ground, and exited, locking the door again. Once out, he activated something on the side of the cell and suddenly his cuffed fists weren’t stuck to the wall anymore. The cuffs were still around his wrist, but he could move his arms around freely again. He stretched, content to finally be able to change the position of his arms.

Right after, Keith took the water cup and swallowed it all. He took the bowl of purple goo after that and started eating it. It was worse than green goo, but he was so hungry that he couldn’t care less.

“Who are you?” Lance asked suddenly.

Keith stopped eating. Shit… It hurt…

“My name’s Keith,” he answered. “I’m a Paladin of Voltron. Just like you were.”

“You mistake me for someone else,” Lance answered, unaffected.

Keith didn’t answer, and didn’t look at Lance. It was too painful to see how much they had changed him.

“I know you’re part Galra, but what’s your other part? Or parts? You look a bit like me,” Lance asked, curious.

“Human… You and I, we’re both from Earth,” Keith answered, growingly annoyed.

Was it some kind of new way to torture him? Did Haggar like what she was seeing? Probably, she was cruel like that. She would totally make sure he never forgets what she did to the love of his life.

“Earth? Nope, don’t remember, never been there,” Lance replied, and it sounded so much like his true self.

“Too bad… There’s a place called Veradero on Earth, and I heard it’s the most beautiful place in the universe,” Keith answered.  

Lance hummed in answer. Keith remained silent.

“You shouldn’t have betrayed the Empire, it’s a really stupid thing to do,” Lance told Keith then.

Keith stopped eating, rage building up in his chest. He hardly swallowed it.

“You don’t know what your saying,” Keith replied, still refusing to meet Lance’s eyes.

“Well, I’m not the one being captive,” Lance argued.

“Shut up,” Keith growled.

“Come on, you know I’m right. It’s your own fault if you’re in this situation,” Lance added.

“Shut up!” Keith yelled, throwing his almost empty bowl of goo on his cell’s bars.

There was silence again for a moment. Lance was looking confused. Keith had so much anger and rage, but he couldn’t help the tears that were falling down his cheeks now.

“Get back to the wall,” Lance told him, voice softer, hesitant, visibly affected by Keith’s tears. “It will hurt less if you do.”

Keith did as requested. There was no point in fighting now. The cuffs reactivated and Keith was in the same uncomfortable position as earlier. He kept his head low and his eyes close as Lance entered the cell and took the empty bowl and cup. The door was closed and locked afterwards.

“See you later, Mullet,” Lance said then.  

Keith’s eyes opened wide at the surname and he finally looked up at Lance.

But the other young man was already leaving.

Could it be that he wasn’t completely lost?

Keith’s hope lighted up once more.

A tiny precious flame in his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Please leave kudos and comments!
> 
> You can also follow me/send me asks or messages on Tumblr: Prettygoo-d


	37. Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> Another chapter looking at Lance and Keith's situation with Haggar and Zyu and Zotrok's situation with Team Voltron. 
> 
> I hope you'll like it :) Things are calm for now, but the storm is coming! 
> 
> Thanks!!

“I heard you have visited one of our prisoners earlier… without my permission,” Haggar stated.

Blue knew she would find out. He was ready to face the consequences of his action. He owed her his life, so he would take any punishment without complaining.

“Why?” She asked.

“I saw him sitting beside you on the balcony in the Arena. I heard he has betrayed you. I couldn’t understand why he would do such a thing,” Blue replied.

“Curiosity, is it?” Haggar asked.

“I just can’t understand why someone would go against you, Madam,” Blue explained.

She remained silent for a long moment.

“Your visit caused him a lot of torment. I want you to make him regret betraying the Empire. Don’t let him fool you. He is a traitor, always remember who you belong to,” Haggar told him.

“Understood,” he replied.

Honestly, he didn’t want to see the prisoner again. It troubled him. This young man looked like the man in his dream. He also didn’t seem to want to see Blue anyway. But he would respect Haggar’s demand. He wasn’t sure exactly how he was going to make their captive regret his choice, but he would find a way.

“And for your information, an attack on Voltron will happen soon. Be prepared,” she warned him.

Voltron uh? He had never seen it, but he had heard a lot about it. It was the Galra Empire’s main enemy, a weapon to be feared… A weapon that Haggar desired. He had also been taught about the pilots and their allies. Haggar wanted him to defeat them.

She said he was destined to accomplish this and he believed her.

It was a great honour to be given such a goal by Haggar.

He wouldn’t disappoint her.

“Vrepit Sa,” Blue replied.

 

—

 

“You’re really bad at this,” Zotrok laughed from the Blue Lion, looking at the Red one flying wildly in space, trying to follow him.

“You’re awful too, don’t act like your piloting skills are better than mine,” Zyu replied, offended.

“What? Are you blind? I’m way better!” Zotrok argued.

“No, you aren’t!” Zyu answered, angry.

“This is so weird… It’s like a déjà vu,” Hunk commented.

“Zyu, Zotrok, please focus,” Allura requested. “Follow our example and try to stay in formation.”

They flew in formation for a moment, everything was going well when suddenly an ice blast was fired.

“Zotrok?” Allura asked, annoyed.

“Sorry, I was just curious and touched some buttons…” He started but the image of an angry Allura appeared on his screen. “Ok, flying in formation, no touching unknown buttons. Understood, Princess.”

“We should maybe take a break for now, Allura,” Pidge offered. “I still have to work on some things with Coran and Lotor to beat Haggar when she’ll attack.”

“Alright,” Allura agreed with a deep sigh.

They all went back inside the Castle. Zyu joined Zotrok in the Blue Lion’s hangar.

“Hey there,” Zotrok greeted him, but quickly noticed that Zyu didn’t look so good. “You doing ok? Listen, if it’s about what I said earlier, you’re not that bad, we just have some work to do… or maybe a lot, but we can definitely do it.”

“I hope we’ll be ready to face Haggar when the time comes. I… I want to help the Coalition and Team Voltron, but I don’t want to be holding them back,” Zyu admitted.

“Allura said that the Red Lion needs a pilot who relies more on instincts than skills alone. So, what do your instincts tell you?” Zotrok asked taking his lover’s hands and looking into Zyu’s eyes with determination.

“They tell me to fight, to give all I have,” Zyu answered as determined now.

“Then, that’s what we’ll do. The Lions chose us for a reason, so we just have to do everything we can to prove them their choice was right,” Zotrok told him. “Alright, now let’s go practise some hand-to-hand combat, ok?”

“I won’t let you win this time,” Zyu replied with a cocky smile.

“As if you can beat me,” Zotrok laughed.

“I’ll show you,” Zyu told him.

“Can’t wait to see it!” Zotrok replied as they left the hangar.

 

—

 

“Dinner time!” Blue announced as he reached the Half-Galra prisoner’s cell.

“I’m not hungry,” he growled.

“Don’t give me that, Mullet. Everyone needs to eat. I promise it’s not poisoned,” Blue replied.

“Don’t call me that,” the young man said.

“Mullet? Come on, it suits you with this ugly haircut. And what else should I call you anyway? You’re not the type to be giving me your name easily,” Blue replied.

“Keith,” the prisoner said then, surprising Blue.

“Oh, ok… Keith,” Blue said, shocked by the sudden answer.

This name… This name was really familiar. He entered Keith’s cell and put his dinner on the ground before deactivating the magnetic current holding the prisoner’s cuffed wrists to the wall. He didn’t move though, his tired eyes drawn to the ground.

“If you had been faithful to Haggar, you wouldn’t have to eat this disgusting purple goo,” Blue said.

Keith remained silent again, not moving even a bit either.

“Hey? I’m serious, you gotta eat,” Blue said, annoyed.

“Why do you care?” Keith asked.

“I…” Blue started, but he couldn’t understand it either, why he was so concerned that the prisoner didn’t want to eat. “It’s my duty,” he lied.   

“Go away…” Keith retorted.

“Nope… I wanted to talk to you anyway, and I’ll leave only when you’re done eating,” Blue replied. “Did you know the Champion?”

Keith didn’t answer, so Blue took that for a “yes.”

“Did it hurt to see him die?” Blue asked.

At that, a scowl appeared on Keith’s features. That meant Blue was on the right way to make him talk.

“You cared about him, but he was loyal to Haggar. So why did you betray her? I wouldn’t have had to kill him if you hadn’t,” Blue continued.

Keith put his hands on his ears. This annoyed Blue, but he continued anyway, speaking louder.

“Haggar seemed to like you too. I mean, she usually just kills the traitors and their loved ones,” Blue added nonchalantly.

“Shut up,” Keith said.

“You can still hear me, uh? Maybe she already killed the other people you cared about, so that’s why you’re so angry now,” Blue stated.

“She… She only killed two of them,” Keith admitted then.

This single statement seemed to drain all anger from him.

“If I eat, you go away right?” Keith asked.

“Yup,” Blue agreed. “Still, I won’t drop the subject. I’m curious.”

“Can I ask questions too then?” Keith asked.

“Why not?” Blue replied, interested.

“Do you have loved ones?” Keith asked.

“No,” Blue replied.

“No family? Or friends?” Keith asked.

“Nope,” Blue answered.

“Must be a lonely life,” Keith commented.

“I don’t really care. Haggar says that these types of bond are unnecessary burdens. I believe her,” he said. “Anyway, you said two people you cared about were killed. Was it because you betrayed the Empire?” Blue asked.

“Yeah… Even though one of them was killed before that. I didn’t want to be Haggar’s puppet, so she tortured and killed him,” Keith answered as he started eating the bowl of goo.

“You should have agreed then and just did as she wanted. You’re not super smart, are you?” Blue replied.

Keith stopped eating for a moment.

“I don’t think he would agree with you. He was… strong, loyal and courageous. He would have told me to never surrender, no matter what… not to let the Galra win and to stay strong,” Keith said, and it sounded like he was reminiscing at the same time.

“Well, he must have been as stupid as you. And didn’t you surrender anyway in the end?” Blue asked.

“It was my way to stall things a bit, so I could find a way to save the rest of my friends and escape,” Keith answered.

Lance huffed a laugh.

“As if there’s a way to escape Haggar,” he said.

“I would’ve escaped, but I messed up and got my friends hurt instead,” Keith replied.

“Good job,” Blue commented.

“Go to hell,” Keith told him.

They were silent for a moment. Blue observed Keith. He wondered if he could really smile innocently like in his dream. He wondered what it would be like to see him smile like that in real life. Would it make him the same comfortable warmth inside? He doubted it honestly. And anyway, it would never happen. Keith was a prisoner. Haggar had taught him about their prisoners’ fate. Keith would never smile like this again. Ever. 

“Hey… Do you know how to dance?” Blue asked suddenly, not even expecting himself to ask the question.

Keith looked at him then, eyes wide.

“Why do you ask?” Keith asked.

“No reason, just… just wanted to know,” Blue said, still embarrassed and confused by the unexpected question.

“My friend, the first one that was killed… We danced once. I think I was getting the hang of it with him,” Keith answered, his eyes still on Blue.

“Too bad he’s dead,” Blue replied.

At that, a scowl appeared again on Keith’s face.

“Don’t you have any compassion?” Keith asked, visibly angry now.

“No, that’s unnecessary when you work for Haggar,” Blue answered.

“Why do you work for her?” Keith asked.

“I owe her my life, I belong to her. She saved me and improved me to make me the strongest fighter of the Galra Empire. I’ll always be loyal to her,” Blue replied with confidence and pride.

Keith remained silent for a long moment after that, finishing his bowl. When he was done, Blue reactivated the cuffs and picked up the empty bowl and cup inside the cell.

“Haggar is manipulating you. She didn’t save you, she condemned you, Lance,” Keith added before Blue left.

Lance? He knew that name too… It resonated in his entire soul. Memories of his dream and the Champion’s voice saying this same exact name flooded his mind for a small moment.  

“See you later, Mullet,” Blue said before leaving.

Shit… Something was wrong in his head, he could feel it.

A call from a deep inaccessible part of him.

The Champion’s information…

What did that mean?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!   
> PLEASE LEAVE KUDOS AND COMMENTS (they literally keep me alive)!! Comments, fanarts and promotion are both really appreciated and motivate me to write :D (you can send it to me on Tumblr [Prettygoo-d] or tag me in posts)


	38. Flashback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> Lance is confused, Haggar has new plans, Hunk works on an old project and Zyu and Zotrok get some needed rest. 
> 
> Ok, so I wasn't exactly sure if I wanted things to turn out this way in this chapter, because I had planned on things to happen way differently, but, oh well, I'm just gonna have to roll with it now I guess x) 
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! 
> 
> PLEASE LEAVE KUDOS AND COMMENTS (I really love reading your comments!) 
> 
> Thanks!!

Blue was on a balcony outside, in a place he didn’t remember visiting. There was a forest, a cliff and a beautiful sunset on the horizon. He felt like a pleasant rush of adrenaline was coursing through his veins. Memories of Keith smiling came back at him flooded his mind and made him feel tingly inside. Blue turned around to look inside, but everything was blurry. It made him really uncomfortable so he turned back toward the horizon, where everything was clear. That’s when he spotted something… No, someone on the edge of the cliff.

He felt anxiety rise suddenly inside him. No… No, he couldn’t go there. He wanted to go back inside. He wanted to dance with Keith more. He turned around once more, not uncaring about the blurriness. He would find Keith anyway, or Keith would find him.

Keith would do anything for him. He knew it… But why?

When Blue turned around, he was met with complete void. The floor underneath him disappeared then and he fell, screaming his voice raw in fear.

And then he woke up, panting in his bed, confused.

This wasn’t normal. It felt too real.

He got up from his bed. Images appeared in his mind, like flashes of memories. People he didn’t know laughing, playing on the beach with other humans looking a lot like him, flying in a spaceship, sitting in class surrounded by other younger humans, flirting with strangers…

What were these images?! Where did they come from!?

It hurt his head. Blue fell to the ground of his room clutching the side of his head.

He saw Keith again, this time younger and piloting some kind of flying simulator.

Why Keith?

Then he saw Haggar. He recognized her, but she didn’t appear like the saviour he believed she was. She had a threatening aura that made him fear her more than anything else.

After that, the images stopped suddenly and he was left breathless and panicked on the ground. When he was finally able to calm down, he let his instincts guide him, unsure of what to do exactly. He put on his uniform and exited the room. He went straight for the cells. Straight to Keith’s cell.

“Who are you?” Blue demanded, serious.

Keith glared at him with tired eyes.

“Who are you!?” Blue reiterated, angry now.

Keith frowned.

“I already told you, my name’s Keith, I’m half-Galra, half-human, and I’m a Paladin of Voltron,” Keith answered, looking confused.

“No… That’s not… Who are you to me? I’ve been having these weird dreams. We’re dancing together in them. And I know we never danced, but…” Blue rambled, confused and irritated.

“We danced,” Keith cut him then, eyes wide and bright. “We danced together, Lance! It happened!”

“What? Why do you keep calling me Lance?” Blue asked.

“It’s your real name, Lance. Listen, you have to believe me. Haggar captured us and brainwashed you,” Keith explained.

Blue backed away. His memories were a mess right now with all the new images. When he thought about it, his past had nothing, no clear memory of when he was younger or where he really came from.

“No… No, it can’t be,” Lance said, searching in his mind vainly for something to prove Keith wrong.

He realized then that he didn’t have any. That there was just darkness and pain before he was saved by Haggar.

“Haggar saved my life, I owe her everything, I belong to her,” Lance murmured.

“No, you don’t. You are a brave Paladin of Voltron, our sharpshooter, my right hand, the…” Keith couldn’t seem to be able to continue.

“The?” Lance encouraged him.

“The love of my life,” Keith admitted, a light blush appearing on his too pale skin and a soft pleading look in his eyes.

Lance’s heart skipped a beat. He felt it too, deep inside him, that there was something between them. Something special.

_“Don’t let him fool you. He is a traitor, always remember who you belong to.”_

“I can’t… You’re a traitor, I…” Lance started, but he was so confused he couldn’t say anything clear.

He started to walk away, too distressed to stay. It was hard to breathe. Images appeared in his mind again.

Keith’s soft smile.

_“We make a great team.”_

The Champion’s wicked smile.

Blood.

_“I love you.”_

Haggar’s sly smile.

Pain.

“Lance! Lance, no, don’t go! Don’t go, please!” Keith pleaded, bringing Lance back to reality.

Lance stopped walking. Haggar was there, standing in front of him, flanked by Lotor’s former generals.

“Seems like your mind is stronger than expected,” Haggar said to him.

“Leave him alone!” Keith screamed from his cell, even if he couldn’t see them.

Haggar made a movement of her hand, motioning to Ezor and Zethrid to restrain Blue. He didn’t fight against them. He was too shocked and confused to do so.

Haggar walked up to Keith’s cell.

“Well, Red General, it seems like you lose against me again. Next time, there won’t remain any flaw in the Blue fighter. He’ll be entirely mine,” Haggar told him.

Keith let out a desperate scream. Blue could feel the pain and sorrow in it, but also the pure love underneath.

It broke some of the walls blocking his memories. He remembered some things now, from the moment Keith and he had been captured by Haggar. Tears pricked his still human eye.

“Keith… Don’t let them win… Stay strong… I… I know you can do it,” Lance said then.

His voice was shaky, unsure, but what mattered was the words.

But Keith could only feel sadness and hopelessness again. Lance wouldn’t come back this time. He would lose him for good once Haggar had done whatever she wanted with Lance.

Haggar frowned at the restrained young man, visibly irritated.

“I love you,” Lance added after a small moment of silence.

Keith smiled sadly and let a sorrowful laugh escape his lips.

“I love you too,” he answered.

Haggar laughed then, making Keith glare at her with all the hate he could muster.

“I know what improvement we will give our blue fighter next,” she said with a wicked glint in her eyes. “Enjoy the memories of the sound of his voice, Red General,” she laughed as she walked out of the cells’ room.

Keith breath caught in his throat at the terrible clue, knowing full well what it meant.

Keith struggled against his cuffed wrists, screaming, “No! No, don’t do this!”

He tried so hard to get free, wounding himself without a care.

But the familiar feeling of despair finally came back.

He yelled in rage at the universe.

Cursing it with all his might.  

 

—

 

“Hunk! I was searching for you! What are you…” Pidge started, joining him in the med bay. “Oh.”

Hunk was working on Lance’s prosthetic eye, a project that had been set aside since they thought Lance had died.

“We’re going to get him back,” Hunk stated after a long moment of silence.

Hunk looked terrible. He had dark circles underneath his red-rimmed eyes, and his comforting happiness had completely left him.  

“Of course!” Pidge agreed, trying to sound cheerful.

It had been hard for them to watch what Lance had done in the Arena, whether when he was in some sort of berserker mode or when he was probably brainwashed. Still, he was alive and they would get him back. They would never give up him. They knew he wasn’t really the murderer they had watched massacre so many people. Clearly, he had somehow been forced to do it.

What they knew though was that Lance would really never be the same again once they finally got him back. How broken would he be? Would he be able to laugh and be his old immature self again? Or even just smile?

And Keith… What torture was he experiencing now? Would he be traumatized? Would he be hurt?

Was he already dead?

She doubted that last question. Haggar would’ve shown them his body or the way he had died. She was cruel like that, Pidge knew it.

The consequences of their friend’s capture and their failure to save them would certainly be hard to live with. Maybe none of them will ever heal from it completely.

In her heart, Pidge wished that what didn’t kill them truly made them stronger.

War has taken a bigger toll on them than they could have ever imagined.

What was all magic and adventure at first was like a nightmare now.

She was exhausted and anxious, and they all felt the same way.

She did her best to keep being positive anyway.

Making sure they wouldn’t fail again.

 

—

 

Zyu looked at Zotrok sleeping peacefully beside him. The Galra man was snoring lightly, which was really endearing. Zyu never thought he would have the chance to experience such peacefulness. He felt warm and loved. They had been together for only a few days, but those were definitely the best days of his life so far.

Zyu had a hard time sleeping. Years of slavery and fighting made it hard for him to rest without letting the nightmares creeping in. As far as he could remember, he had been sold and transported around the universe since he was small. He couldn’t remember his parents, only the other friendly rare children that crossed his path along his travels. Some places, he was treated well, others not so much. When he had been old and strong enough, he had tried to escape from slavery, only to be captured by the Galra Empire and sent into the Arena where he had been held prisoner for the past years.

After all this time, it felt like he was finally somewhere he wanted to be.

He felt blessed to have the right to love and be loved in his lifetime.

He passed one hand through his lover’s fluffy purple hair.

He had always wondered what having a home felt like.

Now he knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! 
> 
> PLEASE LEAVE KUDOS AND COMMENTS (they literally keep me alive)!! 
> 
> Comments, fanarts and promotion are both really appreciated and motivate me to write :D (you can send it to me on Tumblr [Prettygoo-d] or tag me in posts)


	39. Engraved Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers!!
> 
> Lance and Keith have to deal with what Haggar has done to Lance. Team Voltron is almost ready to face Haggar. 
> 
> I hope you'll like this chapter! 
> 
> PLEASE LEAVE KUDOS AND COMMENTS!!!
> 
> Thanks!!

It had been a few days since Keith had last saw Lance. He couldn’t get it out of his head, the sound of Haggar’s laugh, her threat and Lance’s last words to him.

_“I love you.”_

Since then, he hadn’t been able to eat anything, only drinking the water they brought him. He remained silent and still most of the time. He couldn’t seem to be able to sleep for long periods of time too. The nightmares made it impossible.

It was torture. Real torture. He thought he had expected the worse when Lance and he had been captured, but he was wrong. This was destroying way more than any physical torment.

He was sitting with his eyes closed when he heard footsteps coming closer to his cell. It stopped right in front of it. He thought he would see a Galra guard, like the days before, but it… it was Lance.

His eyes widened slightly at the sight of him.

His nose and the lower half of his mouth had been replaced with Galra tech. It fitted with the rest of the tech covering the left half of his face. Lance’s soft lips were gone, replace by some kind of plain metal.

His smile was forever gone. Keith would never see it again. Or hear the wonderful sound of his voice.

And Lance’s eyes… They were emotionless. Lance put the bowl of goo and the cup of water on the ground of the cell, exited and then freed Keith from the magnetic current.

“Lance?” Keith croaked, crawling closer to him.

Lance looked at him with the same unchanging detached expression. All the light in Lance’s eyes was gone, he was now more of a robot than a human. Haggar’s scary impassive puppet…

He felt pain in his chest as his heart and soul were completely crushed under his lover’s lifeless stare.

Lance stood there, remaining motionless, waiting for Keith to finish his lunch. A scowl appeared on Keith’s face as his eyes were dragged to the bowl of goo. He turned his back to Lance, unable to face him as he was anymore.

“I know you probably don’t care or understand anymore, but… even if it hurts, I won’t stop fighting, Lance. I’ll get out of here with you some day, and make sure Haggar regrets what she has done to you,” he stated then and started eating the content of his bowl.

After that, Keith stayed silent. He ate the entire bowl of goo and drank the water.

When he was done, he got back to the wall farther from the cell’s bars.

His hope of saving Lance had been crushed and almost destroyed.

But Keith had a new goal in mind now.

Find a way to defeating Haggar.

Once and for all.

 

-

 

“So far so good, I think we’re getting the hang of it,” Zotrok announced cheerfully has they hardly dodged the Castle’s test shooting.

Pidge, Coran and Hunk had worked hard on this new weapon for the Castle. Even the Lions had a hard time against it. They had also improved the Castle’s shield, and Allura with the help of Lotor had included Altean magic in every aspect of the Castle’s defences. This time, Haggar wouldn’t be able to beat them with her magic and breach in so easily. And if she miraculously did, inside defence weapons had also been added.

They were almost ready. What was left now was to form Voltron, but they still hadn’t been able to do that yet. Zotrok and Zyu had been working hard on getting used to pilot the Lions, but they still couldn’t seem to enter the team’s link properly.

“Not to be a downer or anything, but I still don’t feel anything Voltron-like on my end, guys,” Hunk said then, voice tired.

“Yeah, me neither,” Pidge admitted with a sigh.

Allura frowned and prodded at everyone’s link to Black. She was the center of it all, where all their energy converged to form Voltron. Yes, there was definitely something wrong…

“I think I know the reason,” she informed them. “Hunk, Pidge… I don’t think you are open enough to our new teammates,” she admitted.

There was silence for a moment.

“Are you sure? Because I think I’m pretty open.” Hunk asked.

“I’m sure, Hunk,” Allura answered.

“Ok, Yeah, you’re right, Allura. It’s just really hard to sync with people we barely know, no offence to you guys, but I want to fly with Keith and Lance,” Hunk admitted, pouting.

“Same for me,” Pidge said. “I really want to form Voltron and beat Haggar, but we’ve always formed Voltron with Keith and Lance, or at least with people we knew really well. It’s hard to open up to others now that we’ve almost lost people we cared about, now that we’ve failed them... Repetitively.”

Allura understood their fear. She had experienced it so many times. Every time was as hard as the other.

“But… A wise man once said, ‘if you get too worried about what could go wrong, you might miss a chance to do something great.’” Pidge said. “Hunk, let’s do this,” she added with determination.

“I mean, not being able to form Voltron will really just decrease our chance of winning next time, so it’s not like we can be picky…” Hunk accepted.                “So, yeah, let’s do this!”

Allura was proud of them. She felt the shift in their bond almost instantly.

It was like the first time they had formed Voltron.

They knew they all shared a common goal.

They wanted to save Keith and Lance.

 

 -

 

Lance was walking back to Haggar’s side when he crossed paths with the Champion. Their eyes met and the other nodded slightly.

Good, he had done his job well. It was hard, really hard, but he had to be strong for Keith. He had to lie to him, make Haggar believe that Lance was really completely hers, until the others came to save them, or at least save Keith, or until he found a way to stab her in the back. Literally.

He was proud of Keith. His boyfriend was a fighter, he knew it, but he had seen him waver too many times in the past months due to Lance’s weaknesses and vulnerability, but seeing his fighting spirit renewed was somehow refreshing.

Lance’s memories weren’t completely back, but he remembered their team now and Shiro. Well, Kuron and Shiro.

The fact that he still had his memories back was thanks to an infiltrated druid. Lance didn’t know their name or gender, but they were with the Rebels, which was really surprising. Anyway, after the surgery to his mouth, this one druid had been put in charge of completely resetting Lance’s memory and wipeout anything unnecessary, which meant anything except his basic survival abilities and battle skills. But the druid had simply woken Lance up before the anesthetics were supposed to fade away.

He could remember most of it. The druid telling him through the pain and daze that he was an ally, and that Lance had to act as if he had lost his memories until the right time came. Lance understood what it meant, but it had still been hard to wrap his head around what was happening. What was even more surprising was that the druid had said that the Shiro’s new clone would know that he still had his memories. Something about the druid finding some weird external program in Lance’s prosthetic, one that could only be transferred through their Galra technology. After a bit of work, the druid had found its origin, the Champion’s prosthetic. So, the druid had summoned Shiro’s clone and transferred the program back. It had acted almost like a countermeasure against his former prosthetic’s program, which was sending specific signals to Shiro’s brain, making him either docile or wicked according to Haggar’s desire.

Just thinking about the druid’s explanation made Lance’s brain hurt. He really wasn’t fond of these intellectual explanations. It was Pidge’s thing, not his. But anyway, he was glad that he wasn’t alone in all this. Even if Shiro’s clone wasn’t their Shiro, it was still reassuring to know that he wasn’t the wicked one from before.

Still, he couldn’t… communicate with him, because Lance would probably never talk again and also because Haggar was actively spying on them.

The druid had put a lot of emphasis on making sure he acted as her pawn at all times until the right time came. They said Team Voltron was planning their rescue, but that they didn’t know when it would be exactly.

Lance was hopeful, even through the pain and changes he was experiencing.

He was still alive, and that was all that really mattered for now.

His family would still love him, even if he was half-cyborg.

His nephew and niece would surely think he’s cool.

And Keith would never stop loving him.

He could still remember his words.

They were engraved in his mind.

_“I love you too.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANKS FOR READING!
> 
> PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT!!   
> I would really appreciate it :)!


	40. Prepared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers!!
> 
> Team Voltron is enjoying their last vargas of peace and Haggar has some awful plans for Keith and Lance... 
> 
> PLEASE LEAVE KUDOS AND COMMENTS!
> 
> Thanks!!

“We’re all prepared!” Coran announced cheerfully.

“Alright, now we just have to wait. Our intel informed me that the attack should happen soon,” Kolivan told them, on the screen with the other main participants in this future battle.

“Alright, time to get some rest everyone. This battle will be arduous, but I believe we can finally defeat Haggar and retrieve our friends,” Allura announced.

Everyone agreed with a determined smile and a nod. The conference call was ended and Zyu and Zotrok left the room after that. They walked to a secluded part of the Castle, a place they had found soon after their arrival, where they could sit on a couch and hang out while looking at the starry view from the Castle’s huge windows.

“I’m sure we’re gonna beat Haggar’s ass this time. I mean, it’s not like she probably has any overpowered trick up her sleeve, uh?” Zotrok asked as they entered the room.

Zyu stopped, looking at Zotrok with concern. He was used to his riddles.

“Are you… scared?” Zyu asked.

“What? No! Why would I be scared? I mean, there’s no risk of us dying,” Zotrok retorted, not looking at Zyu.

Even if Zotrok looked like he believed his words, Zyu didn’t buy it. He knew Zotrok well enough. And then, as if to confirm Zyu’s suspicions, Zotrok’s shoulders dropped.

“Ok, yeah, I’m scared,” he admitted with an annoyed tone.

“But you’re a Blade and you’ve fought the Galra Empire many times before, no?” Zyu asked, curious.

“It’s not the same… In the Blade, the mission always comes first. If our comrades die or are wounded, we do what’s ‘best,’ we leave them behind in favour of the mission. I’ve lost many friends, brothers and sisters, while fighting the Galra Empire,” Zotrok explained, and then turned to look at Zyu with care and worry in his eyes. “Now, you’re going to fight beside me. I… I’m not scared to lose my own life, Zyu, I’m terrified you’ll lose yours.”

Zyu’s heart squeezed at his words. The truth was that he felt exactly the same, but he was more confident that they would win. Zyu hadn’t had an easy life, but he hadn’t seen many people he cared about die in this war. Zotrok had, and it had scarred him deeply.

So, Zyu walked up to Zotrok and took his hands. He couldn’t promise him anything or tell him the comforting words his lover surely wished to hear, but there were things they could do to feel better.

“We might not both get through this battle, but… let’s enjoy this time of peace we have together before the battle,” Zyu offered with a small loving smile.

Zotrok put one of his hands on Zyu’s cheek and kissed him tenderly.

“Yeah, let’s make the most of it,” Zotrok agreed with a murmur that sent pleasant chills down Zyu’s spine.

Zotrok kissed Zyu’s jaw and neck as they slowly leaned on the couch of the room.

Zyu knew what Zotrok wanted them to spend their next vargas doing.

And, honestly, Zyu wanted it too way more than he dared admit.

Their desire for each other was as strong as their affection.

It was an inextinguishable flame in their heart.

Ardent and full of passion.

It was true love.

 

 

—

 

“Oh my…” Coran said, closing the video feed of the Castle security cameras. “Nobody goes to the 5th room of the 3rd area of the Castle!” He exclaimed.

Pidge, Hunk and Allura turned to him with curious looks.

“Zotrok and Zyu are having a, hum, bonding moment of sort,” he murmured, as if he was sharing a secret.

They all looked confused before it clicked in their mind.

“Oh yew!” Pidge exclaimed, as Hunk and Allura let out a laugh at her reaction.

Yeah, they were all really glad that Zyu and Zotrok had joined their team.

Their presence helped to deal with the anxiety caused by this situation.

They all hoped the best for the two men after this final battle.

That they would have a happy peaceful future together.

 

—

 

“Preparations are completed, Madam,” A soldier announced as he kneeled before the Witch.

“Excellent, now bring me the Red General,” Haggar demanded.

Once the soldier was gone, she turned to face Lance and Kuro. Yeah, Lance had decided to call this clone, Kuro, a mix of Shiro and Kuron. It was so weird that he had met so many versions of his hero. But now… Now, he couldn’t look or think about him without hatred and fear. Kuron had traumatized him.

At least, Kuro was an ally… well, so far he was, so there was that.

But Lance was hardly keeping up the act. He had always loved acting and such, he was totally a theatre kid and liked to brag about how good of a showman he was, but this… this was too much.

For the past few days, he had been forced to bring Keith’s meals to his cell, and see the look of pain every time Keith saw him. Yes, there was a renewed hope in his eyes, but this hope wasn’t for a better future, but for revenge. Lance wished he could tell Keith that he was still himself and see the relief on his face and maybe a smile…

He loved Keith’s smile so much. The watery one he had seen from him when he had told the truth to Lance a couple of days ago wasn’t even remotely satisfying.

But Lance’s last hope wasn’t really about seeing that smile again, the chances were not in his favour. Instead, his goal now was to do everything he could to find a way to get Keith out of here. Even if it meant sacrificing his own life for good this time.

Yes, he wanted to believe in his friends and get out of there, yet Keith and him were still detained by Haggar. Lance wasn’t as helpless as he was when was captured though. Now he had all this Galra tech covering his body, enhancing his fighting abilities past human limits. Against Haggar, surrounded by Galra Generals and soldiers, Kuro and him probably didn’t stand a chance though, but the moment would come for them to escape and nothing would stop them then.

“You two are my greatest achievement in this war,” Haggar told them. “But you surprised me with your traitorous mind before,” she added, turning to Lance with a suspicious look in her eyes.

Keith was pushed on his knees in front of them, his hands cuffed behind his back. He glared at Haggar, but she was still looking at Lance who remained inexpressive and motionless.

“Prove me your allegiance, Blue Fighter,” she said, a gun appearing in her hand. “Shoot him,” she demanded as she handed Lance the gun.

Lance’s mind wavered at the order. He remained impassive externally, but internally his body was going into panic. His mind was running wild with awful possibilities and his muscle almost refused to respond to him anymore. He needed to keep up his act, but shooting Keith… No. No, he could never!

Yet, he took the gun and walked up to Keith.

How could he save him if he shot him? Yet, if he didn’t… If he didn’t, Haggar would certainly make sure herself that Lance would be unrecoverable and she would probably kill Keith right in front of his eyes. The fact that she had asked him to shoot Keith meant that she had no use or interest in keeping him anymore. Either way, Keith’s life would be in danger.

Lance lifted the gun and aimed at his visibly distressed boyfriend.

“Please, Lance… Come on, don’t do this,” Keith pleaded, and Lance really just wanted him to shut up.

It was already so hard to make up his mind. But Lance knew that he had no choice. He knew human anatomy like no one else in this room. He had studied the human and allied aliens’ anatomy extensively, thanks to the stored information about it in the Castle. Only Coran knew about his knowledge, because Lance had requested his help to access the info after they had started fighting way more flesh soldiers. He needed to know their opponents and allies’ physical weaknesses and nonfatal areas to shoot. Lance didn’t like to kill, but he had a gun as a weapon and it was imperative for him to be able to incapacitate his opponents. And if they took a hostage, he needed to know where to shoot to cause non-lethal wounds to both of them, but also take down their enemy.

So, he was in the best position to shoot Keith without it being fatal.

Shit… He had to do it. Lance didn’t stop his act, but a tear made its way down his right cheek.

Keith’s eyes widened, probably having noticed. He looked down, feeling visibly even more tormented. Lance hated it. He hated it so much. Keith didn’t deserve all this pain.

“O-ok… It’s ok, Lance. I get it. Y-you can do it,” Keith told him with a watery smile, his voice wavering with the fear and emotion. “I love you,” he added.

Lance didn’t let this agonizing situation linger any longer than this and shot Keith.

Keith fell to the ground, unmoving.

Guilt ate at Lance’s soul.

What had he done?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT! It would make me super happy :)


	41. Traitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> The final battle has begun... 
> 
> This chapter is a little bit smaller than the past ones, but I hope you'll like it! 
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments!
> 
> Thanks!!

 

Kuro felt bile rise in his throat when he saw his little brother being shot by his lover. He never thought Lance would do it. He was shocked, but… He realized soon enough that Keith would not die from this shot… At least, not so soon. Lance had aimed well, just beside the heart, clearly not injuring any artery either. Kuro didn’t know if Haggar knew that though. When his eyes turned to her, she had a satisfied smile on her lips.

“Well, done, Blue Fighter,” she congratulated him and then turned to the soldiers. “Bring his body to his cell. I want his friends to believe he is still alive. And Champion, accompany them, I don’t want another traitor playing with him behind my back,” she added.

Kuro didn’t know if it was a curse or luck. He still couldn’t help Keith, because there was too much risk that the Witch would find out.

He followed the soldiers dragging Keith’s body away. Another soldier entered the room before they left.

“Madam, we located the Castle’s coordinates. We are ready whenever you are,” He announced.

“Excellent. I’ll head to the control room right away,” she answered.

And Kuro knew that this was the time. He turned to Lance who had barely moved from his spot. Their eyes met and Kuro nodded. Hoping he would understand. All Lance had to do was to continue playing his role as Haggar’s puppet until an opening finally occurred, and he could escape.

As they arrived to the cells, Kuro quickly took out the soldiers and carried Keith away to another part of the ship.

“No…” Keith started in a pained voice, pushing weakly against Kuro’s torso.

“Everything’s fine, Keith. I’m not under Haggar’s control, I’m on your side,” Kuro explained as he entered a sort of storage room.

Kuro put Keith on the ground and headed to a box containing first help products. He didn’t have much time to spend on bandaging Keith up, but he would do his best as fast as he could.

“Lance…” Keith asked.

“He is too. We have an ally in this ship. They helped us remember our true selves,” Kuro explained briefly.

And then Keith smiled widely, tears trailing down the side of his face and a sob shaking his body.

“I was so scared that I had lost you both,” Keith admitted.

“It’s ok, Keith. We’re gonna be fine,” Kuro told him.

Kuro knew he wasn’t the person he had memories of being. He was a creation, a replacement, but Keith didn’t have to know that now. He needed to regain his true hope.

Keith flinched when Kuro tightened the bandage around his torso. The shot wound was clean and didn’t bleed much anymore. Keith would be fine. They just needed to get out of here. The Galra ship was shaken up then. Kuro knew what it meant, they had wormholed.

It was time for them to escape, they were close enough to the Castle now.

The sound of soldiers outside the storage room confirmed it.

The battle had begun.

 

—

 

“Here’s the map, everyone!” Zotrok called as he sent Blue’s scan to everyone.

“Alright! So, we really gotta avoid this part on the left. That’s probably the place where Lance and Keith are held,” Pidge said. “But yeah, anyway, the best thing is to do as we planned, and not attack the mothership before they are both out.”

“Understood!” Zyu agreed.

“Still in ninja mode on my part!” Zotrok informed them. “On my way to enemy territory.”

“Cloaking device still on for me too. Right behind you, Zotrok,” Zyu added.

“We’re handling the battle outside, so go get them!” Matt told them.

The battle was still resembling a normal one so far, but they knew it would soon become fiercer.

For now, everything was going well, so they had to do everything they could to make it last.

They had to keep having the upper hand.

As long as they could.

 

—

 

“Send us inside the Castle,” Haggar growled at the druids surrounding her.

Lance was standing beside her. Something inside him was telling him that going inside the Castle might actually give him the chance he was waiting for to take her out once and for all, but another part of him really didn’t want to leave before making sure that Keith and Kuro were out of here too.

Magic started powering around them and under, where an alchemy circle and been drawn to amplify Haggar’s powers and allow her to teleport inside the Castle. Just as it was reaching its peak, something happened. Haggar fell to the ground with a roar.

“They think they can stop me with this low-level Altean magic…” She growled as she stood up.

“Madam! The soldiers assigned to bringing back the Red General’s body to his cell have been taken out. The Champion is nowhere to be found as well!” A soldier informed her then.

“WHAT?!” She yelled, her anger reaching new heights. “Where…” she started, summoning an oval purple mirror of sort.

Lance noticed then that the mirror didn’t have her reflection on it, but instead it was Keith’s. He was being carried in the seer’s arms.

“NO! Capture them!” She screamed, making the vision disappear as she walked away from the room. Lance followed her, unsure of what to do now exactly.

Haggar didn’t seem to doubt him yet.

So, it was a good sign, right?

Oh Dios, he hoped so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT :)!


	42. Close

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers!
> 
> The final battle has arrived! 
> 
> This chapter is really sad, I cried writing it. 
> 
> I hope you'll still like it :)
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments!
> 
> Thank you!!

“Alright, I took care of the soldiers near the escape pods, we should have a few minutes to leave this ship,” Kuro announced.

“Lance?” Keith asked with a wince.

“He’s gonna be alright, he’s strong, you know it,” Kuro answered as he took Keith in his hands.

“No… No, Haggar’s with him,” Keith argued.

“I’m getting you out of here first. Then, I’ll come back for him. And I’m sure the others are also trying to get him out. Lance is not alone,” Kuro explained.

He could still see the disagreement in the younger man’s eyes, but also the exhaustion and pain. The bullet wound might not be a fatal one yet, it was still surely painful. Keith didn’t answer anything back. His past failure to escape and the consequences that had ensued were probably weighing on his mind.

Kuro focused back on their goal: escaping. He ran in the hallways to the escape pods. He was glad that he didn’t meet any resistance on his way. Once there. He ran to the closest one. Time was ticking by quickly and Haggar was probably already aware of his betrayal. They had to go before…

Just as he reached the pod, a bolt of electricity hit him on the side, making Kuro fall to the ground, his body spasming with the after effect of the electrocution. Keith had skittered farther away from the pod. At least, he had visibly been way less affected by the bolt. That was good… But then Haggar appeared in front of Kuro. An invisible force took a hold of his body, lifting him up and brutally throwing him inside the pod. His head hit the wall of the pod and his consciousness wavered.

Before he passed out, he saw Haggar looking at him with disgust and hate as she activated the pod’s ejection.

The door closed between them.

And Kuro fell into darkness.

 

—

 

“How dare he!” Haggar screamed, purple lightning shooting from her hands and hitting the other pods’ consoles, destroying them and their escape option.

She turned to face Keith next. “And you, seems like this traitor tended to your wound. I can’t allow that,” she started, walking up to him.

Keith was powerless and… and scared. He could see how angry Haggar was. Her sole goal in that instant was to kill Keith, he felt it and it terrified him. He considered himself more courageous than most, but before in that moment he just couldn’t be. He tried to back away, but he could only do so much as his back hit the wall behind him.

She got ready to strike him and end his life once and for all, a purple orb appearing in her hand.

This was it…

But Haggar’s advance was suddenly stopped. Shock suddenly took over her features and her eyes dropped down… down to the blade protruding from her torso and then to the person behind.

Lance…

He had fire in his eyes, silently showing her with one glare all the hate and vengeful feelings he had accumulated over the past weeks. All the trauma and pain. All the despair and suffering…. Every awful emotion that he could express only with his eyes. It was frightening, even for Keith to whom the glare wasn’t destined.

But she still had so much hatred and darkness inside her that she couldn’t admit defeat there. Victory or death, uh?

Her body started glowing in a bright purple light. A crazy laugh, sounding almost like a scream, escaped her mouth, resounding in the large room and making it even more troubling.

Her eyes met Keith’s. She was smiling, a small trail of blood dropping down her chin.

“Try surviving this,” she croaked.

An explosion of energy propelled Lance to the other side of the room, where his body hit the wall heavily.

But otherwise, nothing else seems to have happened.

Haggar fell to the ground, unmoving, her eyes wide open. She… She was dead! Keith couldn’t even describe the incredible satisfaction and relief he felt. It was like he could finally breathe again. But then, his eyes went back to Lance, concerned. He was still slumped against the wall, visibly in pain with his eyes closed tightly.

Keith hardly stood up and walked up to him.

“Hey… Hey? What’s hurting?” Keith inquired, worried.

Lance opened his eyes and looked at Keith. Shit, he was stupid… Lance couldn’t talk.

“Sorry,” Keith said, but Lance only looked at him with deep love.

The Cuban boy lifted a shaky hand to his mouth. He pushed on the mouth piece and the thing opened up then and fell to the ground. Leaving tech surrounding his mouth, going over his jaw and in a line over his cheeks and nose, where the mouth piece was supposed to be held in place.

“Keith…” Lance said then, his voice small, broken and full of pain.

Tears fell down Keith’s eyes instantly and a relieved sob escaped his lips. He jumped on Lance then, his arms wrapping tightly around Lance. He was so happy... so incredibly happy that he had the chance to hear him talk again. He didn’t care about the pain of the gunshot in his chest or the still precarious situation they were in. Lance was alive and himself. And even better, he could still hear his beautiful voice, even if it had been roughed out during the past weeks.

But then, Lance coughed and Keith noticed that the other boy hadn’t wrapped his arms around him.

Keith backed away and saw exhaustion in Lance’s feature, but way passed the normal level for a war prisoner. More like…

More like a sign of imminent death.

Keith’s eyes fell to the flickering light in Lance’s chest, where the Balmera crystal was powering the Galra tech keeping Lance alive.

No.

No no no!

Not so close to escaping!

“It’s ok, Lance! I’ll get you out of here! I’ll save you, I promise,” Keith said then, standing up.

Keith looked around but couldn’t see any functioning pod. His other option was the hangar, but it was farther away from there.

Keith didn’t care. He would go anywhere if it meant saving the love of his life. They would be free again, he would make sure of it. So, he crouched in front of his lover and placed him on his back. He let out a scream of pain when he stood up, the heavy weight of Lance’s almost limp body putting a strain on the bullet wound.

“Keith… don’t,” Lance tried, weakly.

“Lance, shut up. We’re both getting out of here,” Keith replied instantly, decisive.

He felt Lance settle against Keith’s back, and the half-Galra started making his way through the Galra Ship. And then, as if to make things worse, an alarm started blaring around them.

“Power source overloaded! Critical level reached! Evacuate immediately!” A robot-like voice announced repetitively.

Keith let out an angry scream as he quickened his pace. This ship probably had only a few minutes before it exploded.

But then Keith was met with a row of robot sentries. He stopped walking, overwhelmed by the hopeless turn their escape had taken. He was powerless and wounded. Their time to flee was limited. Keith tightened his hold on Lance’s legs around his hips, as if to give him the strength he lacked in this moment.

They were going to die in this ship, no matter how much he tried, no matter how much he wanted the both of them to survive.

Life was so unfair, so fucking cruel!

“Leave me behind, I’ll… I’ll hold them off,” Lance demanded then, summoning a rifle from his shoulder with one of his shaking hands.

“Are you stupid?! I’m not doing that, Lance!” Keith replied angrily.

“You’re the idiot… You… You have the most chances to survive,” Lance explained tiredly, the fire in his voice almost completely gone.

Keith looked around again, hoping for a new idea to pop in his head or a miracle to happen and save them.

But nothing came.

“Please… Don’t make me do this… I can’t leave you, Lance,” Keith said, voice tight.

“I love you, Keith,” Lance murmured in his lover’s ear. “I need you… to keep living.”

Keith let out an angry yell. He didn’t know what end to choose. What would life be without Lance? Would it be worth living?

He doubted it.

Lance had become too important to him, and Keith would need his support after all they had been through. He wouldn’t survive knowing he had left the love of his life to die so he could live. It would kill him eventually anyway.

Yet, he could also understand Lance’s desire. And he had to find Shiro’s clone and help him to. Their friends would also be destroyed if the both of them died in this battle.

“Stay where you are,” one droid requested.

“Evacuate immediately!” The Robot voice called loudly over the alarm.

“Keith…” Lance pressurized, voice weak but desperate.

Keith had to choose now. Go or stay? Life or death?

He closed his eyes, concentrating on his thoughts.

Praying for a miracle once more.

The universe answered him…

 

—

“You should be getting close to them according to my scanners!” Pidge said over the coms.

That’s when Zotrok saw the droids pointing their guns on a hidden target from where he was. He had no doubt, it was Keith and Lance. He ran to the droids and destroyed them in a quick succession of attacks. Zyu followed soon behind, shooting down the robot soldiers arriving behind the two Galra prisoners.

“Zotrok!” Keith called, visibly pleasantly surprised.

“Allura, we found them!” Zyu called over the coms.

“Good, now, get out of here quickly,” Allura answered with a relieved sigh.

“This way!” Zotrok called to Keith, seeing other droids run towards them from the other side of the hallway.

Keith walked quickly to them, as Zyu was taking down as many droids as he could that tried to follow them.

“Blue and Red are close. Can you still carry Lance? We’ll cover you,” Zotrok said.

“Y-yeah, I can still carry him,” Keith said.

Even with his visible wounds and exhaustion, there was light and determination in Keith’s eyes.

“Hey… I’m Lance,” the Cuban boy introduced himself to Zotrok, his mind probably becoming hazy by his weakened state. “Good to see you, Zyu… You are a Paladin too? Nice.”

Zotrok wasn’t sure what was going on with Lance, but it was concerning. The young man looked at death’s door. It was bad… Really bad…

But Zotrok and Zyu were there, so there was still hope to get help in time to save him.

Keith was doing his best, going as fast as his body could withstand. Zyu and Zotrok were fighting the droids trying to attack them. They were so close to the hangar.

So close to escaping… But then, the ship was shaken by a big explosion.

“Breach in the 5T-RK sector! Ship integrity compromised! Safety measures activated!” The robot voice called.

Zyu looked at Zotrok, Keith and Lance as the trio was running past the doorframe to the hangar way ahead of him. Zotrok turned to look at his lover who was running towards them. They both knew what this sector was. That was exactly where they were.

“Hurry!” Zotrok encouraged him.

Just as Zyu was about to reach them, the door closed in front of him, imprisoning him behind the sealed door, separated from his lover and Keith and Lance. Zotrok and him looked at each other with horror through the large glass window between them.

“NO!” He heard Zotrok yell through the coms, voice full of anguish that broke Zyu’s heart.

Zotrok started trying to vainly force the door open, ignoring Zyu’s tentative to get his attention.

“Zo, look at me!” He tried.

“Shit, I’ll get you out of there, Zy! I’ll get you out… I’ll…” Zotrok couldn’t seem to continue, too distressed.

He was unreachable, completely caught up in the hopelessness of the situation. So, Zyu turned his eyes to Keith. The young half-Galra looked shocked and unsure. The orange Paladin nodded to him, resolute.

“Go,” he told him, knowing that even if Keith couldn’t hear him, he would be easiest to convince first.

“Thank you,” Zyu saw Keith say before he headed to the Red Lion a few metres away from there.

It hurt Keith to leave an ally behind, Zyu knew it, but Lance’s life was on the line and there was undoubtedly nothing more important to Keith. Zyu could understand how he felt.

He also saw Lance’s saddened expression. They were allies, friends… Zyu hoped that Lance would survive and be able to fight again. The universe needed his light. Lance would’ve probably opposed Keith’s decision if he had had the energy to do so.

Zyu’s eyes turned back to Zotrok then. He was now hitting the door with all he had, not caring about the wounds he was causing to his own hands and how ineffective it clearly was.

“What’s happening in there? Why is Blue not leaving?” Allura asked, concerned.

“Keith and Lance are on their way to the Castle. They need help, they are wounded,” Zyu told the Team.

“What about you and Zotrok? Why are you guys not out yet? Please tell me that everything’s fine and that you’re just a bit delayed,” Hunk asked, anxious.

“Guys, I’m picking up heavy power overload. You need to get out of there before the ship blows up! We need to wormhole away too, because this is gonna be a really huge blast,” Pidge added, sounding worried.

“Sorry, everyone. It was an honour fighting with you,” Zyu said simply before tuning out the rest of the Team, leaving only Zotrok to talk to.

“Well, seems like we won’t see each other for a while, everyone. Thank you, for letting us fight by your side,” Zotrok added before also turning off his coms with their other team members.

“Please, Zo, I don’t want you to die too. Just go,” Zyu pleaded.

“I won’t leave you,” Zotrok answered, tears forming in his eyes.

“Generalized explosion imminent! Evacuate immediately!” The robot voice warned them.

“You can still make it! Don’t be stupid!” Zyu tried to convince him, desperate tears falling down his cheeks.

“I can’t leave you, Zy! You… You are my future. Without you, I can’t… I can’t imagine being happy again,” Zotrok explained, opening his heart completely to his lover. “I’m not letting you die alone.”

Zyu dropped to his knees, knowing that Zotrok would never listen to him. “I hate you,” he murmured in defeat.

The Blue Lion behind Zotrok flew away, accepting the choice of his interim Paladin.

“No, you don’t,” Zotrok replied with a laugh that sounded more like a sob.

Zotrok fell to his knees too, putting a hand on the glass separating them. Zyu put his hand on top of it. He could almost feel the other’s warmth.

“After the war, I wanted us to retreat to some far away planet in a big wooden house by the lake. I… I also wanted us to adopt children, rescues from the war, and offer them a loving home. I wanted us to get married and grow old. I wanted us to be together until the end and find peace and happiness,” Zotrok admitted. “I’m such a fool… Thinking that we could escape fate and war someday… But it was nice being able to dream for a bit.”

Zyu cried in answer, strong painful emotions filling his chest and making it hard to breathe. He could see it clearly, Zotrok’s dream. It would have been a wonderful life…

“T-thank you, Zo… For making me so happy in the end… For being my real-life dream,” he finally let out, meeting Zotrok’s tearful eyes again.

They smiled sadly at each other as explosions started to destroy the ship.

“I love you,” Zotrok said, voice calm and full of love.

Zyu’s tears and sobbed doubled, even more heartbroken now. It was the first time they had said it to each other… and the last.

“I love you too,” he answered shakily, but as fondly.

Zotrok smiled with acceptance and leaned forward as silent tears fell down his eyes. Zyu did the same putting his forehead on the glass to meet his lover’s. They both wanted to feel as close as possible from the other in their last moment alive, even with the accursed door keeping them apart.

Zyu closed his eyes expecting the end to come soon, and already mourning their lost dream.

A few ticks later, they were both swallowed by fire and destruction.

A deafening roar echoed around them and in their soul.

And then they became space dust once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :,)
> 
> PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT!!!! (It would mean a lot to me)


	43. Wins and Losses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers! 
> 
> The final battle has come to an end... 
> 
> PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT!
> 
> Thanks!!

“Has everyone passed through the wormhole, Coran?” Allura asked as the Black Lion landed in its bay.

“Everyone, but… but Zotrok and Zyu,” Coran answered sadly.

There was a small moment of silence as everyone dealt with their own sadness and guilt. They had feared it so much, losing more teammates, but at least they had recovered Lance and Keith. Yet, this time, there was no saving Zyu and Zotrok.

“What about Lance and Keith? Are they alright?” Hunk asked, getting out of his Lion.

“I’m on my way to the Red Lion’s hangar. It was the first to leave Haggar’s ship, so I suppose it was carrying our friends,” Coran announced. “Meet me there, I might need some help.”

“Understood!” Allura answered.

They were all anxious, they didn’t know what had happened to Lance and Keith, but they knew they were wounded thanks to Zyu warning them.

Zyu and Zotrok… This loss hurt them more deeply than they all showed at the moment. This battle wasn’t finished, it wouldn’t be the end of it as long as Lance and Keith weren’t both safe and sound once again.

After this battle, when everything would calm down, they would honour Zyu and Zotrok like the heroes they were.

They hadn’t been part of their team for long, but everyone had grown fond of them in the short time.

They would miss them deeply, there was no doubt.

May they rest in peace…

 

—

 

“We’re here! We’re in the Castle, Lance! It’s ok, it’s going to be ok, we’re saved,” Keith rambled supporting Lance’s heavy body out of Red.

Lance had one of his arms around Keith’s shoulders and was hardly putting any weight on his legs to help his struggling boyfriend. Keith was trying so hard not to look at the blood seeping through the Galra tech and Lance’s lips. Lance couldn’t react anymore it seemed. He was barely keeping his glazed eyes open. Keith wasn’t hurting anymore. The adrenaline in his body numbed everything… except the growing fear in his chest.

They had gone so far, survived so much… They were finally here, in the Castle, away from the Galra. And Haggar was finally dead.

“Coran! Someone!” Keith screamed as he made his way out of the infirmary.

“’m sorry,” Lance murmured then.

“What? Why?” Keith asked, feeling some kind of relief that Lance was speaking.

“Shot… you,” he answered.

“It’s ok, it’s fine, you did well, Lance,” Keith replied.

“Love… you.” Lance’s voice was so small and broken.

“I love you too, Sharpshooter. Keep talking to me, ok?” Keith encouraged his fading lover.

However, Lance didn’t say anything else and only became suddenly heavier against Keith. The Half-Galra’s heart sped up then.

“Coran! Shit… Lance, come on! I need you to stay conscious, I need you…” Keith let out a cry when his body suddenly decided to give up on him.

Lance was too heavy, Keith was too weak now. The blood loss and strain against his injury was finally getting to him. Keith lowered Lance to the ground as gently as possible in his state. Lance had his eyes closed and Keith let a few tears fall at the distressing sight.

He tried to stand up again and drag Lance out of the hangar, yelling for help with all he had, but Keith fell to the ground soon after. He didn’t have any energy left…

Lance’s body was now partly on top of him, and Keith hugged him tight.

“Please… Please, don’t leave me again,” he sobbed.

“Keith?! Lance?!” Allura’s voice boomed in the hangar then.

Keith saw her running to them. He couldn’t seem to answer though, too happy and shocked by her arrival. She looked them over with concern and dread. She was analyzing their injuries.

“Allura, you have to… You have to save him! The crystal…” He finally blurted out, dizziness and distress making it hard to think and speak.

She put a comforting hand on Keith’s arm then and smiled softly at him.

“It’s going to be ok, Keith. We will save you both,” she told him.

Keith felt safe now, thanks to Allura’s confidence and soothing presence, so he let go of Lance’s body and she carried the Cuban boy away just as Coran and Hunk were reaching him.

They took Keith to the infirmary on a stretcher right away.

His mind started to fade to subconsciousness.  

But it was fine, he was safe.

And so was Lance.

 

—

 

“Is it enough?” Allura inquired anxiously.

“It should be,” Pidge answered as she installed wires all around Lance who was lying on the floor of the bridge.

It had been necessary to bring him there so Allura could take a piece of their Balmera crystal. In the meantime, Pidge was doing her best to remove the broken one in his chest, but first she needed to run a scan on his body and the Galra tech covering him. The needed data popped up on her computer a few ticks later. It was bad, really bad… The crystal was like a heart to Lance now, without its power he would die. Honestly, medicine wasn’t Pidge’s strength, but she would do anything for her space brother. Now, looking at the data, she quickly found out how to remove the broken crystal.

After a few long ticks of analysis, making sure that the procedure would be safe, she finally moved, pushing and pulling at some places surrounding Lance’s core. And then, after pushing at some specific places at the same time, the crystal was slightly elevated. Pidge took it out right away and reached for Allura’s new one. It had a similar shape and it fit in perfectly. Lance’s body seemed to accept the exchange as the crystal was inserted in its socket.

“Is it working? Did we do it?” Allura asked, distressed at the lack of reaction from Lance’s part.

Pidge was eagerly awaiting some kind of sign as well. They couldn’t lose him, not so close, not again…

The Galra tech suddenly came back to life and Lance sat up with a loud gasp followed by a wince. Allura caught him right in time before he fell back down on his back. He looked confused and tired, but he would be fine. His vitals were quickly going back to normal based on the data Pidge’s computer was showing. Lance was safe and alive after all this time.

“Hey…” Lance croaked with a small smile. “It’s been a while.”

The two girls cried of happiness as they hugged him.

Finally, he was back home.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! There will be a few more chapters and alternate endings posted on Tuesdays and Fridays as "usual" :) 
> 
> PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW!!


	44. Cry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers, 
> 
> Lance and Keith are back to their space home. 
> 
> PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT! 
> 
> Thanks!!

“Are they both ok?” Matt asked worriedly as Team Voltron joined their allies in the main hangar.

They had all been waiting for news for about a varga. Some of their allies had suffered injuries during this difficult battle, but everyone had been taken care of it seemed, as the wounded were covered in bandages.

“Yes, Keith had some nutrient deficiencies and a shot wound on his left shoulder. Fortunately, the shot missed any vital part of his body, so the only concerning thing was blood loss, which we took care of immediately after their arrival. He will make a full recovery in no time,” Coran explained cheerfully.

“What about Lance?” Matt asked.

There was silence for a moment.

“Haggar has done many changes to his physique. Many of his organs and parts of his body have been replaced with Galra technology that is powered by a Balmera crystal. The problem is that we cannot… remove the technology, as without it he would certainly not survive,” Coran admitted with a sad sigh. “I’m afraid Lance will remain a cyborg.”

“But he’s alive? So, that’s all that matters, right?” Matt replied.

“Indeed,” Coran replied.

“Good, now that this is cleared, we have further things to take care of,” Kolivan announced. “We caught an escape pod leaving Haggar’s ship before its explosion. We found someone in it.”

“Who?” Allura asked.

Kolivan stepped aside to show an unconscious Shiro held by two other Blades.

“A clone again? Or is he the real one?” Pidge asked, curious, and also a bit hopeful.

“A clone…” Lance answered then, surprising everyone by unexpectedly joining the reunion. Everyone thought he would be in a pod or resting, not here at least. “He’s a clone, but an ally. He tried to help us.”

“Blue Paladin,” Kolivan greeted him.

All eyes were turned to him. He expected that. His body… It probably looked even worse in person than in video. He knew they had all seen him in the Arena, Haggar had talked about it in front of him before, when he was her servant. He knew they might have a negative opinion of him, but he didn’t mind it. He was still a Paladin of Voltron deep down, he knew it, and the atrocities he had committed… It was all Haggar’s fault.

“Buddy, you should be resting, we can take care of things,” Hunk tried to convince him.

“Kuro was attacked by Haggar, he might have a concussion. You better get him to the infirmary,” Lance advised the two Blades who moved out of the hangar immediately, accompanied by Coran.

“Kuro?” Pidge asked.

“The first clone was ‘Kuron’, but Haggar called him ‘Champion’ most of the time. This one I don’t know, she also called him ‘Champion’, so I kinda mixed Shiro and Kuron’s names,” Lance explained quickly.

Pidge smiled at that. Lance sounded more like himself when he used that young immature tone, trying to explain his creative decisions. It was almost scary to see him so serious with all that had happened, but Pidge also understood that change. The horrors he must have experienced…

“Alright, now that this has been taken care of, we have to get prepared for a possible counter-attack from the Witch,” Kolivan continued.

“No need for that. Don’t worry, I killed her,” Lance answered nonchalantly.

There was a surprised silence then.

“What? How?” Pidge asked, curious.

“Ok, let’s start from the beginning, alright? It’s gonna be a long story, so you better get comfortable,” Lance announced.

He explained his whole experience in Galra captivity. He skipped some traumatizing parts and described the whole thing lightheartedly, as if it had all been a dream. Or more like a nightmare. Still, like it was unreal. He just needed to give the information. The trauma and awful emotions that these memories caused him were buried deep down for now. He would deal with all this later.

What really mattered now was that he was back to his team and that Keith would survive.

Even after all this, he still wanted to be a Paladin.

It was partly to honour Zyu and Zotrok, but also to make use of his experience and new abilities. Being captured by Haggar had been terrifying, but now he was stronger and she was gone.

God, he impressed himself with his new maturity. He hoped Keith liked this new side of him. Maybe it would turn him on…

_Lance! Concentrate, damn it! This is not the time to think about turning Keith on! Not now, in front of all the freacking Coalition! There… Get back to your horrible experience with Haggar. Good._

Even with his mind wandering a bit, he was able to tell the most important parts of their time away from their space family. The meeting ended soon after. Their allies left and Lance returned to Keith’s side. He was sleeping in his pod peacefully. Kuro was in a pod next to him. Lance could breathe.

“You should also get a few hours in a pod,” Coran offered for the 4th time.

“Like I said, I’m totally fine, Coran,” Lance sighed with a small reassuring smile.

“Well, if there’s anything, just tell me, my boy,” Coran told him before leaving.

Lance was left alone for a moment. He settled beside Keith’s pod and tried to close his eyes, but awful memories flashed in his mind. Even being near Keith didn’t seem to help. He could only relive the most terrible memories he had of his time with Haggar.

He had killed so many people.

He had shot Keith…

“Sleepover in the med bay!” Hunk announced cheerfully, making Lance jump on his feet right away in fear.

Hunk, Pidge and Allura were carrying blankets and pillows. They were all smiling, but… but now it was a bit awkward, seeing Lance’s distraught reaction. Lance tried to look more relaxed as soon as he noticed the awkwardness.

“Sorry… We, hum, didn’t mean to scare you,” Allura apologized.

“No, it’s ok, don’t worry. Anyway, I’m all for a sleepover,” Lance answered with as much excitement as he could muster.

Hunk, Pidge and Allura started placing the blankets and pillows all around Lance. Soon, he was snuggled in all of it with his friends too.

“Aren’t we suppose to eat candies and play games?” Lance asked, confused.

“It’s not a ‘pyjama party,’ it’s a sleepover,” Pidge answered, which was surprising from her part, knowing how much of a night howl she was.

“We all need rest, Lance,” Allura added with a caring tone.

“True,” Lance agreed. “So, no space candies, uh? That’s too bad,” Lance joked.

“If you want snacks, I can make you some right away,” Hunk offered, already standing up.

Lance was about to refuse, but seeing the hope in Hunk’s eyes he just couldn’t resist. It had been hard for him, but for them too probably. He knew about their first rescue attempt and how it had failed. It must have been so hard to lose 3 Paladins in such a small amount of time. And then seeing them in the Arena or under Haggar’s orders.

“Yeah, that’d be nice. Thank you, Big Guy,” Lance answered with a small smile.

It was good to be back to his space home. He had missed his friends so much. At the thought and the comfortable feeling in his chest, tears started to fall down his still human eye.

“Are you ok, Lance?” Allura asked, concerned.

“Y-yeah, just… just really happy to be back,” he answered wetly.

Pidge and Allura hugged him again. He let it all out, all his build up emotions. He sobbed brokenly. He had been so scared. He had done so many horrible things. He had hurt Keith. He had been powerless.

They had transformed him into… into a monster.

Hunk and Coran joined the hug minutes later.

Lance couldn’t care to keep it all hidden.

He was with his space family now.

And they were all safe.

It was ok to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW! 
> 
> Next chapter will be about Lance and Keith, and probably Zozyu's funeral. After that, I will do the alternate endings :)!!!


	45. HALF-HAPPY ENDING - Heal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers!!
> 
> This is the half-happy ending! :) 
> 
> Sorry, for the late update, I just had to rewrite it so many times and I was really busy (and unorganized) this week, so yeah... Anyway, this ending is really corny I guess, but I hope you'll like it :P
> 
> The other endings will be published soon!
> 
> PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT!
> 
> Thanks!!

“Lance!”

The yell resounded in the infirmary as soon as Keith stumbled out of the healing pod. It was full of fear and despair. Such terror… Pidge had only seen it once in Keith’s eyes. When Lance had almost died. And again, there they were. Poor Keith… With them as Paladins, there was no way he would not end up with the same expression on his face once more in the future.

But at least he was here with them now, alive and safe.

“Hey, take it slow, Keith. It’s ok, you’re in the Castle,” Kuro told him as he helped the younger man out of the pod.

“Lance…” Keith repeated, looking around frantically.

“He’s fine too, Allura and Pidge saved him,” Kuro said.

“Where is he?” Keith choked out, still panicking.

“He’s resting now, don’t worry,” Kuro answered.

Keith exhaled deeply then and settled in Kuro’s arms, already more relaxed. He looked around again, but this time more conscious of where he was and the people surrounding him.

“Ok… I-I’m in the Castle,” he acknowledged.

“That’s right,” Kuro agreed. “Coran is going to do a medical examination to make sure everything’s alright.”

“Y-yeah, sure,” Keith agreed.

He still looked distressed, but they could see that he was slowly calming down, so that was positive.

Now Lance… After the crying party they had had a few hours back, Lance had fallen asleep. Hunk had carried him to his bed, because their friend clearly needed more sleep than the hours waiting for Keith would have provided him. Lance would probably be angry at them, but it was all in his best interest.

Keith let Coran do is check up. In general, he was in really good health now. The pod had taken care of his nutrient deficiency as well, but he would still need to make sure to eat enough in the next days. So, Keith was back to normal, except for the scar on his chest, where he had been shot. That was more than any of his teammates would have wished for.

“You’re not lying to me, are you? Lance is really fine?” Keith asked then.

“Yes, he is. Don’t worry, Keith,” Allura answered with a comforting smile.

“Don’t worry, I even made sure Lance’s Galra tech was cleared of any virus or hidden Galra programing that might be dangerous. Lance should be completely fine,” Pidge said.

“Should?” Keith asked, visibly annoyed by the choice of words.

“Keith, Pidge has been working really hard to save us,” Kuro defended her.

Keith turned his gaze away, ashamed by his behaviour, and nodded. He remained the same edgy person he was at least, and when it concerned Lance he felt like it was understandable. He had gone through a lot. But he knew that their friends didn’t have it easy either.

“Y-yeah… Sorry Pidge. And thank you everyone for saving us,” he murmured finally.

“Aw, Buddy, it’s so good to have you back,” Hunk cried then and hugged Keith tightly. “We missed you!”

“I missed you too,” Keith replied with a small smile.

Everyone joined in a few ticks later.

It felt pleasant and warm.

He was home again.

 

—

 

Lance had woken up a few dobashes earlier. He was still in bed though, unmoving.

He was looking at the ceiling, waiting for an order to make him move.

He didn’t recognize the ceiling, so where was he exactly?

A smile appeared in his wandering mind.

Beautiful purple eyes…

Mullet?

This place had a strange feeling in his mind, almost unpleasant, like it wasn’t real.

He remained still, waiting for his mind to clear up the mess it was in.

Yeah, this confusing situation wasn’t new.

It had happened every day lately.

He didn’t need an order.

He needed Keith.

 

—

 

Hunk had waited a few hours, but Lance still hadn’t woken up. It would’ve been ok if Lance hadn’t narrowly escaped death so many times in the last couple of weeks. Hunk’s anxiety had won over letting Lance rest peacefully. He… He just needed to make sure that his best friend was alright. And anyway, Lance needed to eat, so Hunk decided to bring him some soup.

Hopefully, Lance would be just fine and even hungry.

Keith and the others were still together with their allies. The Red Paladin was explaining his version of what had happened while in Galra captivity. They knew now that Kuro really wasn’t their Shiro, but Allura had shared something about feeling his spirit inside the Black Lion and maybe having an idea. She said that ounce they found the place where Shiro’s other clones were, she could some weird thing with her space magic and maybe get their real Shiro back. Honestly, he believed her, because there was almost nothing impossible in his mind now. This whole adventure in space made him pretty open to a lot of weird possibilities.

Anyway, even if Hunk was curious about Keith’s rest of the story, Lance’s well-being worried him more. So, he had sneaked out of the meeting.

Once he reached Lance’s room, he knocked on the door.

No answer.

He knocked again and waited a few long tics.

Still no answer.

“Hey, buddy, it’s Hunk, I’m coming in, ok?” Hunk announced before opening the door.

To his surprise, Lance was sitting on his bed, eyes to the floor.

“Lance? Everything’s alright?” Hunk asked, concerned, but also wary.

Lance’s eyes turned to him then, but he looked far away in his thoughts, completely disconnected from reality. Hunk couldn’t lie, seeing his friend being so different physically was troubling. He wasn’t… He really wasn’t completely human anymore. It was not only a limb, like Shiro, or Kuro, it was almost half of his body. It was unnerving, even if Pidge had made sure that he was himself and not controlled anymore. Hunk was always the most anxious one of their friends, so it was normal to be vigilant, even when it concerned Lance, his best friend. He just wished they could have saved him earlier, avoided all the transformations his best friend had been forced to go through.

Suddenly, Lance’s eyes cleared up.

“Oh, Hunk, buddy, hey! Yeah, sorry, I’m alright,” Lance finally answered him with a wide smile.

“Are you sure? Honestly, you don’t look to be doing so well,” Hunk admitted, putting the tray of food on Lance’s bedside table.

“Yeah, don’t worry, I just need time to get my head around everything that happened,” Lance explained.

“Well, you’ve gone through a lot, so it’s pretty normal. Take all the time you need, buddy, I’ll tell the others.”

“Thanks, Hunk,” Lance replied. “Is Keith awake?”

“Yeah, he’s all healed up,” Hunk informed him and Lance’s face lighted up then. “He’s with the others. The Coalition wanted his part of the story. Join us when I’m done eating?” Hunk offered.

“Yeah, I’ll be there soon,” Lance agreed, looking at the tray of food Hunk had brought.

“Alright, see you later, buddy,” Hunk said.

Lance smiled at him, before Hunk left, but the Yellow Paladin could see that something was bothering his friend.

Hunk just wasn’t sure of what else to do really. Hunk always showed most support with food, so he hoped it would do the trick with Lance.

Maybe he just needed time to heal and all.

Yeah, that was probably that…

 

—

 

Once Hunk was gone, Lance wandered out of his room, not even taking a bite of the food he had brought him. He didn’t need as much food as before anymore, because most of his body was powered by the Balmera crystal in his chest, so hunger and desire for food was rare for him now.

He headed to this room with the beautiful view of space. The same place where Keith and him had officialized that they were dating.

It felt like it had happened in a dream. Like his mind had made up all the nice memories he had, from his childhood on Earth to spending time cuddled up with Keith.

A couple of weeks… He had been gone only a couple of weeks, but it felt like a lifetime.

He had changed a lot, in his mind and body. He would never ever be the same as he was before. He thought he had come to terms with it, and he had, partly. He didn’t mind the physical part too much, but he dreaded the mental effect of his weeks under Haggar’s control. He expected the doubts, the confusion and the nightmares to go away once he was free again, but none of it had disappeared.

He wanted to be his immature self again, the goofball of the team, but could he really act this way again?

Yes, his original personality wasn’t gone completely, he could feel it, but he still would never be his former self again.

His train of thoughts was cut short as a presence neared his location, his Galra tech making him more attentive to his surroundings.

At least, he was no doubt stronger physically now, so that was a plus.

“Hey,” the person greeted him.

This voice… Lance turned to face him and smiled softly at the figure approaching.

“Hey, Samourai,” Lance replied. “Glad to see you all healed up.”

Even these simple words sounded strange to him.

“Yeah… You weren’t in your room,” Keith replied, explaining his presence.

“Obviously,” Lance said, and at that Keith smiled softly.

“How are you feeling?” Keith asked, sitting beside his lover.

“I’m alright...” Lance answered, looking away.

Lance could’ve tried to appear more honest, but Keith’s concern was palpable and it destabilized him.

Actually, Keith always destabilized him in some way. Like, making a mullet look good! How the hell did he do that really?

“Hey, you can tell me everything. We’re a team, remember,” Keith offered, taking Lance’s hand.

Lance tightly held Keith’s hand. He needed to be honest with Keith. And with himself too. There was a conflict inside him. Was he mentally strong enough to get through the trauma?

“I’m sorry Keith… I’m not the same anymore,” Lance started. “I’m so damn happy that you’re safe, but… but I feel lost right now.”

Keith was surprised by Lance’s words. They were serious, worrying… Keith wasn’t good with confessions and emotional stuff, but he had himself gone through a lot himself. It allowed him to connect with his emotions better and now he felt like he could better sympathize with others. And for Lance, he would do anything to help him, and if he needed Keith to muster the most comforting words he could, then that’s what he would do.

“Lost?” Keith asked, wanting to understand what his boyfriend felt exactly so he could better help him.

“I don’t know what’s real anymore… When I woke up earlier, and every day before that, I had to convince myself again and again that I didn’t belong to Haggar, I had to reach out to the memories that were almost taken away from me, not even sure if they were really mine. It’s hard to live this way, to be unsure of who I am, to be haunted by Haggar even when I sleep. I don’t know if I can do it, I don’t know…”

Lance was cut off by lips on his own. This… This felt right. It felt good and it made all his doubts and fear suddenly disappear. Yes, there was still something he was sure of. He loved Keith. He loved him so damn much. Keith backed away and took Lance’s face in his hands, making sure that the Cuban’s eyes were fixed in his boyfriend’s purple ones.

“I’ll be there every morning to remind you who you are. I’ll be there every day to ground you. I’ll be there every night to keep the nightmares away. I promise, Lance, I’ll always be by your side,” Keith said with determination.

“O-ok,” Lance agreed, touched by Keith’s speech, and a bright blush appearing on the human part of his face.

“You’re too important to me, Lance. I’ll do anything to make you feel better… And I’ll need your help too to get through this,” Keith added.

“Of course, Samourai,” Lance answered, realizing then that he wasn’t alone to struggle with the trauma of what had happened.

Keith stood up next and extended a hand towards Lance.

“Wanna dance?” Keith asked.

“What? Really? My emo boyfriend who can’t dance to save his life is asking me to dance?” Lance teased him.

“Come on, it’s the first thing you remembered about us after Haggar brainwashed you,” Keith explained.

“True… Can’t forget your beautiful smile while we danced,” Lance replied, taking the extended hand and letting Keith lead him in a slow dance. “I love you,” Lance added after a moment, a loving smile on his lips.

“I love you too,” Keith replied with the same fondness.

Lance’s forehead met Keith’s and they closed their eyes, simply enjoying the closeness of the other.

Relishing in the warmth between them, and in their shared love.

They were alive and, with time, they would heal.

But for now, all they needed was each other.

To help stay grounded to reality.

To be able to keep fighting.

To learn to live again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!!
> 
> PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT!


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